Just as the women got up early in the morning to go to the tomb, a group of us got up early yesterday morning and went back to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. As the group processed our experience, many of us felt like we missed something. So, we left our hotel at 5:15 AM and arrived at the church at about 5:40 AM. When we arrived, there were about 35-40 there. The major difference, other than the amount of people, was that these 35-40 were gathered to pray. There was a reverence and a respect ... not only for the site, but for each other. People were gracious in allowing each other the time they needed at the different places in the church for prayer and reflection. It was absolutely beautiful; so much different than the day before.
It seems the major difference between the two days was that on the first day, the church was filled with spectators, and on the second day the church was filled with participants. On the first day, the church was filled with people who had a goal to complete (see this, touch that, etc.); on the second day, the church was filled with people who had a relationship to maintain. In both cases, the way the individual approached God was very similar to the way the individual approached the surrounding people.
As we were finishing our morning time at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the first tour groups were beginning to arrive. Having had the opportunity to experience this holy site in a more appropriate way, I was able to experience the crowds in a more appropriate way. I am glad I went back to the tomb early in the morning ... and I pray that I will grow to experience God in the midst of a broken, searching, yearning humanity.
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