Week 3: Korban (Sacrifice)

Shabbat Shalom,

Week 3 is in the books (literally and figuratively)! This week consisted of lots of walking and stairs – very on theme for those that have been to Jerusalem. We visited the City of David, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (or Church of the Resurrection) and continue to breathe in this new city and adventure. I (again this is Tayler because GT has been slammed with homework, sorry for the double whammy) can’t believe it’s almost been a month since we arrived. It has been a lot to process. There have been tears of wonder, sadness, tiredness, and joy. As I look toward my 30th birthday (tomorrow!), I am reminded that God has us, and He has this season we are in. It is a blessing, a calling, a joy, and a sacrifice.

Highlights from our second week in Jerusalem

1. Hezekiah’s Tunnel
   • We walked 9 miles and climbed 44 flights of stairs as we explored the Old City, the City of David, and Hezekiah’s Tunnel!
   • Quick history lesson (partly to flex, but also because context matters): Hezekiah was a king during the 7th century BC. One of his great achievements was fortifying the Gihon Spring, protecting Jerusalem’s water source by channeling it through a tunnel into the city which we got to walk through last Sunday!
   • Walking through this tunnel was incredible. You can literally still see the stroke marks from thousands of years ago. Even more amazing, it was completed in just four years. Honestly, I’m about 85% convinced it would take just as long today, even with modern technology!
2. Old City – Church of the Resurrection & The Temple Mount
   • There really aren’t words to explain what it was like walking into the Church of the Resurrection. I’ve been blessed to see many beautiful churches in Europe and the US, but all seem to pale in comparison to the sacredness of touching the tomb where Jesus was likely buried and resurrected.
   • What stood out to me most wasn’t the politics between the different Christian groups (though yes, the famous ladder outside is still there because of it), but the majesty of a place built by human hands that still only echoes the glory we will experience when we meet the Lord one day. It’s unfathomable to me that something so breathtaking will one day be dwarfed in comparison to what we will experience because of Christ’s sacrifice!
3. Life and Times of Paul Class
   • One class that GT and I are taking together is Life and Times of Paul with Dr. Chris Vlachos. This week we explored the political, religious, and cultural background Paul navigated during his ministry.
   • What struck me most was how Paul lived as a cross-cultural man: Roman citizen, Jew (“Hebrew of Hebrews”), academic, and more. His example lays the foundation for how we engage with cultures we agree (and disagree) with today. It was a striking reminder that our mission as the Church is not to bring people to us, but to go out and bring the Church to the world.

This week I picked the word is Korban, usually translated as “something offered to draw near to God.” I have been reflecting on this concept and what it has meant for us in our journey. As exciting as this adventure is, it has required sacrifices. If you ask any JUC staff or student how they ended up here, they’ll tell a story of laying something down. That shared sacrifice weaves this community together making it such a blessing.

For me, one sacrifice has been letting go of my career and that part of my identity after finding out the job here wouldn’t work out. It was/is hard, but I know that God closed that door to allow me to be fully present in the Lord’s Land and His calling. Other sacrifices are more personal: missing my sister’s pregnancy milestones and belly kicks from Baby J (she’s due October 25th!), being apart from our family and community, and losing downtime with Grant. With daily Hebrew quizzes, papers, and endless reading, he’s often studying past midnight, and our normal downtime has been sacrificed to ensure he gets the most out of being a full-time student. There’s also the sacrifice of guaranteed safety. Jerusalem is safe, but not like suburban Nashville. This week we experienced sirens while separated from each other, plus finding out about the terrorist attack at the bus station. Processing this reality has been intense to say the least. 

I don’t want you to read this and think, cheese and crackers, Tayler, didn’t you just say what an adventure living in Jerusalem has been? Because YES—it is an adventure. It’s just an adventure that also requires sacrifice. But isn’t that consistent with the stories of the Bible?

Sacrifice isn’t meant to be easy; it’s meant to draw us nearer to the Lord. You lay things down at His feet not because it is comfortable, but because it is what is needed. God doesn’t promise us a life without sacrifice, anxiety, or fear; throughout the Bible we see the opposite. But what He does promise is a life lived to its fullest, filled with unimaginable kindness, forgiveness, hope, peace, and joy. As C.S. Lewis wrote in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: “‘Safe?’…Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King.”

Our God is good. He sees the sacrifices, the triumphs, the stumbles, the anxiety, and the joy. He cares for us through it all with the goodness and kindness of One who knows our souls intimately. For that, I am thankful.

If you want to know how to pray for us…

1. New rhythms
   • Keeping it in here because it hasn’t even been a month and I would be a bold face liar if I said our rhythms were established. We are starting to see a semblance of rhythms come together, but we definitely have more to settle into, but it is exciting that we get to learn these things together!
2. Grace for ourselves and each other
   • We’ve put a lot of pressure on ourselves in the last few weeks, to read every page, go to every activity, sleep 8 hours a night, workout, etc etc… but too much pressure has been leading to anxiety and some frustration and prickliness. Please pray we extend mercy and grace that quiets the anxiety fueling that pressure.

With love,

Tayler and Grant

P.s. one of us is a photographer and one of us tries her best in all things…