BENJAMIN OMOIKE
JERUSALEM, Israel – The pilgrimage exercise embarked upon by Christian pilgrims from Lagos State is taking a turn for the better by the day, as participants visited various historic sites in the holy land of Israel.
On the third day of the spiritual exercise, which was Christmas Day, pilgrims celebrated Christmas by visiting Allenby border – entrance into The Promised Land, from where they proceeded to Mount Zion. In Biblical times, this hill was called the Western Hill, where mostly Sadducees lived. This very large area has several important Biblical and iconic places, where the Lord Jesus Christ performed great miracles, signs and wonders. The Upper Room, where Jesus and His Disciples had the Passover Dinner (Last Supper), is located here, and this is the location where the Holy Spirit descended down on the Apostles as flames of fire on the Day of Pentecost. Pilgrims prayed for fresh fire of revival upon their lives here.
The synagogue of “King David’s Tomb” is located not too far from here. This site was also visited. The church of Ingalicante where Peter denied Jesus three times was visited; equally seen was the The ‘falling asleep’ of the Virgin Mary, believed to have occurred at the site of the Church of the Dormition (John 13).
Pilgrims were taken to the Western Wall (Wailing Wall). This is what is left from the Temple of God which Jesus and His disciples visited, completely destroyed by Romans in 70AD. Today, it is regarded as the most sacred place for all the Jews in the world; a place equally visted by Christians across the globe.
On Day Four of the pilgrimage exercise, Boxing Day, pilgrims embarked on a spiritually uplifting journey, visiting more Biblical historical sites in the Holy Land, including: Bethlehem, the Shepherd’s Field, Church of the Nativity, Mount of Olives, Old Jerusalem City, Chapel of the Ascension, Dominus Flevit – where Jesus wept over Jerusalem, Garden of Gethsemane and The Church of St. Anna (closed for the holidays).
Other sites visted included The Way of the Cross – Via Delarosa (nine stations were visited out of the 14 Stations), Church of the Holy Sepulchre – housing Golgotha and the empty tomb – where Jesus’ body was buried, and from where the Angel of God rolled away the stone upon His resurrection.
Day Four marked the most difficult for the pilgrims, as they had to walk long distances, climbing up and down tough and steep tarrains in order to fulfill this highly rewarding spiritual exercise. The elderly were advised to remain at specified locations to continue in prayers, in cases where they couldn’t continue the trekking. However, many of them braved the odds to complete the exercise.This meaningful experience, not only deepened the pilgrims’ connection to the sacred history of the region, but also gave them a proper connection to stories they had read in the Bible, creating better understanding and knowledge of the Word of God.
Many of the pilgrims appreciated the efforts of the Lagos State Government and the Lagos State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board, heaping special praise on the Executive Secretary of the Board, Mrs. Yetunde Gbafe, for her doggedness and pragmatic leadership. Day Five of the exercise would see pilgrims head to Jericho and the Dead Sea region.
