No one knows for sure where the crucifixion and the resurrection took place. There are two competing candidates: the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which is inside the old city but was outside at the time of Christ; and Gordon's Tomb, which is outside the old city, near the Damascus Gate. Most people think the Church of the Holy Sepulchre has the better claim. However, Gordon's Tomb is the lovelier spot, with gardens and benches and flowing water and lots of trees.
But I'm not all that interested in which site is genuine. What makes Gordon't Tomb unique is that it provides worship space for lots of groups. There must be at least 10 alcoves where people can gather, and the variety of Christians one sees is truly staggering. In the 45 minutes that we spent there, we met people from Indonesia, the U.S., Holland, Argentina, Russia and Israel. Most were part of church groups that had come to worship. A babble of voices, lots of singing, communion being served, strangers hugging each other--a fantastic witness to the continuing vitality of the Christian church.
Even though the site is beautiful, there are jarring realities. Gordon's Calvary has a rock wall with cave openings that resemble a skull (Golgotha means "place of the skull"), but it opens out onto a space that is now a parking lot for buses. Thus the past mingles with the present. In fact, Connie and I have wondered if living here, on top of so much history, might grow tiresome. The old days feel like they drag on you, holding you back instead of moving you forward. I can't say that I've ever felt that in Portland.
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