The LORD will surely comfort Zion
Isaiah 51:3
and will look with compassion on all her ruins;
he will make her deserts like Eden,
her wastelands like the garden of the LORD.
Joy and gladness will be found in her,
thanksgiving and the sound of singing.
I’ve been keeping busy attending classes and doing homework the past few days. I now understand the difficulty of going back to school after being away for a while. I’ll detail later what I’m taking, but these courses are certainly nothing like the computer science classes I remember taking. This will be a challenging program.
After getting sick this weekend, I’m doing a lot better. I’m guessing it was food poisoning. My stomach hasn’t felt quite right ever since, so please pray for a complete recovery and that I’ll keep from getting sick in the future. On a more positive note, I’m now sleeping more soundly, having adjusted to the time zone and the hard bed. I finally tried going without Ambien last night and slept quite well. Good sleep is always something to be thankful for.
JUC is situated on the southwestern slope of Mount Zion in Jerusalem overlooking the Hinnon Valley. All week the weather has been sunny with highs about 80° F and lows about 60° F with medium humidity. Early in the afternoon, as it seems like it will get too warm, a cool breeze blows in from the Mediterranean as it has for millennia. This could be what the Bible refers to as the “cool of the day” (Genesis 3:8).
Looking to the southwest, I can see the Hinnom Valley and the buildings across it. The valley’s name goes back to the time of the Bible. By the time of Jesus, the name “gehenna” (from the Hebrew “Ge Hinnom” or “Valley of Hinnom”) had become synonymous with hell and eternal punishment (see Matthew 5:22, sometimes translated “hell”), probably remembering back to when child sacrifice was performed in it centuries before: “They have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to burn their sons and daughters in the fire–something I did not command, nor did it enter my mind” (Jeremiah 7:31). So I suppose you could say I’m living on the edge of hell.
Unlike the cramped streets and alleys of the Old City immediately to the north, JUC has a lush, spacious garden. Amidst these old stone buildings, green vines and bushes and trees are growing everywhere. There are fruit-bearing plants available for anyone on campus to pick, including grapes, pomegranates, and olives. It’s a beautiful place to stay.
