Presbyterian News Service

Walking in holy footsteps

A member of the PC(USA) delegation to the Holy Land reflects in visiting some of the historical sites of faith

Shadowy figures of people move past an ornate display in he Church of the Holy Sepulcher

Millions of people visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City of Jerusalem each year (photo by Rich Copley).

Note: In mid-January, a group of six Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) representatives traveled to Jordan, Palestine, and Israel to participate in ecumenical celebrations, meet with partners in the region, and gain a better understanding of the issues facing the region. They also took time to visit some of the faith-based sites and landmarks that make the Holy Land a destination for millions of people every year. Here is a reflection on those moments from a member of the delegation.

A woman in a blue headcovering looks into what appears to be a crowd of people. — Sue Rheem, Presbyterian Representative to the United Nations, visits with people at the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron.

NEW YORK — I didn’t know what to expect when I visited the Holy Land. Raised as a Reformed Christian, I identified the Holy Land with stories heard during the holy days of Christmas and Easter, far removed from my daily ritual. However, walking around the holy sites, I couldn’t not be moved by the meaning and the symbolism of the sites and the artistry that moved generations of believers over the ages.

When thinking about Jerusalem, Jesus’ cry came to mind. “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing.” (Luke 13:34). Jerusalem means City of Peace, but it is yet to be. “As he approached the city and saw it, he wept, saying, ‘If you, every you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes …’” (see Luke 19:4-44).

The interior of the Church of Gethsemane featuring high columns and ceilings adorned in blue and accented with gold. — The Church of Gethsemane is next to the garden where Christ was believed to have prayed before his betrayal.

A man and a woman take photos over a fence in front of a stand of trees.

The Rev. Jihyun Oh and Douglas Dicks of the PC(USA) stand in front of a stand of trees at the Church of Gethsemane. | Credit: Rich Copley | PC(USA)

_{↑ The Rev. Jihyun Oh and Douglas Dicks of PC(USA) take in the garden at the Church of Gethsemane.}

_{↓ A crucifix stands at the entrance to the sanctuary of the Church at Gethsemane.}

A crucifix stands at the front of grand church sanctuary adorned in blue and gold.

The Church of Gethsemane is next to the garden where Christ was believed to have prayed before his betrayal. | Credit: Rich Copley | PC(USA)

Church of Gethsemane

Our first stop, a Catholic church located on the Mount of Olives where Jesus prayed before his arrest, had a haunting quality. It enshrines a section of bedrock where Jesus is said to have prayed before his arrest. The church was mostly empty and dark. Simple in design, Romanesque, for a Catholic church, there were birds on the iron wreath surrounding the rock symbolizing the suffering people shared with Jesus. I was particularly struck by the olive trees in the garden of Gethsemane. There was one tree that was over 800 years old. I thought its twisted, gnarly limbs stood firmly in place as a witness to Jesus’ anguish, abandonment and betrayal.

Via Dolorosa

Walking the path that Jesus walked was humbling. I could feel the smooth, worn stones under my feet. Retracing his steps, I tried to connect to what Jesus must have felt carrying the cross to his crucifixion, reflecting on his suffering, and the significance of his sacrifice for us.

People kneel at a tomb- or grave-like structure on the floor of a room with a large painting depicting Jesus Christ's crucifixion and burial on the wall.

Pilgrims kneel in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in front of a portrait of Christs crucifixion and burial. | Credit: Rich Copley | PC(USA)

_{Pilgrims kneel in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in front of a portrait of Christs crucifixion and burial.}

A person enters a large structuture adorned in gold

People enter the site purported to be Christ's tomb in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. | Credit: Rich Copley | PC(USA)

_{People can visit what is believed to be the site of Christ's burial in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.}

Church of the Holy Sepulchre

It was built by Emperor Constantine over the traditional sites of Jesus crucifixion (Golgotha) and burial (Tomb). To enter the tomb and see the site of the crucifixion makes Jesus’ sacrifice more real. The Eastern Orthodox churches continue to be the keeper of the site connecting the faithful to the physical Jesus. It is a place of pilgrimage with lots of tourists and not a place for deep meditation, but enough to say prayer of thanksgiving for what the sites symbolize. God became flesh who lived among us, was crucified and buried.

We are after all intrinsically woven like the mosaics in the holy sites. I lift up my simple prayers humbled by the faith that has sustained believers through time.

Sue Rheem

A distant view of a golden domed building framed by deep blue sky.

The Dome of the Rock is the world's oldest surviving work of Islamic architecture. | Credit: Rich Copley | PC(USA)

_{The Dome of the Rock in the Old City of Jerusalem is the oldest surviving work of Islamic architecture.}

Dome of the Rock

Haram Al Sharif

Al Aqsa Mosque

I was surprised to learn that the rock marks the spot where Prophet Mohammad ascended to heaven. Our guide, Aouni Bazbaz pointed out the intricate designs, art and calligraphy etched into the walls and it is major symbol of early Islamic architecture. Pilgrims went below to touch and pray at the rock. Men gathered to study the Quran. Women met in a different corner to pray. I was struck by the fact that it is still a holy place of worship after so many years.

Intricate tile work in a window forms a palm tree.

The Intricate tile work in a window of the Dome of the Rock presents a palm tree, a revered symbol in Islam. | Credit: Rich Copley | PC(USA)

_{Intricate tiles in a window of the Dome of the Rock form a palm tree, a holy symbol in Islam.}

Intricate tile work on a door to an ancient building

Intricate title work at the Dome of the Rock, an Islamic holy site in the Old City of Jerusalem. | Credit: Rich Copley | PC(USA)

People stand praying against a large, towering wall.

The Western Wall is the holiest site where Jews can pray in the Old City of Jerusalem. | Credit: Rich Copley | PC(USA)

_{Worshippers pray at t}_{he Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem.}

A Hebrew scripture on a wooden stand outdoors

Holy scriptures are readily available to worshippers at the Western Wall. | Credit: Rich Copley | PC(USA)

_↑_{Scriptures are available to visitors to the Western Wall.}

_↓_{A man prays at the Western Wall.}

A man stands with his hands spread and head against a wall in prayer.

A man prays at the Western Wall. | Credit: Rich Copley | PC(USA)

Western Wall

It is the last remnant of the retaining wall for the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, sacred to Jews as the closest accessible point to the destroyed Second Temple. It was a sunny day and many Jews had gathered at the wall to pray. Men to the left and women to the right. There was constant movement of worshippers swaying and praying facing the wall. It was a very physical act of connecting to God.

Visitors stand back from a small space purported to be the place of Christs birth in the Church of the Nativity.

The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem features a spot where Christ is believed to have been born. | Credit: Rich Copley | PC(USA)

_{Tour guide Faraj Al Ati (right) shows visitors from the PC(USA) what is purported to be the site of Christ's birth in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.}

To visit the holy sites, Dome of the Rock, to go to the Western Wall, the Church of Gethsemane, and the Holy Sepulcher, the Church of the Nativity made me appreciate the unity as well as diversity in our belief in God. The complicated history of the Holy Land can be understood in the light of empire and colonialism, but can we also see one another as human beings, make connections, find a common purpose, and a common understanding? To seek true peace and justice, to see one another as imago dei and find the courage to change. We are after all intrinsically woven like the mosaics in the holy sites.

I lift up my simple prayers humbled by the faith that has sustained believers through time.

Sue Rheem is the Manger of the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations and the PC(USA) Representative to the UN.

A group of five people pose for a photo against the backdrop of ancient ruins.

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) visitors to the Holy Land were (clockwise from top left) Douglas Dicks, Michael Ferguson, Dr. Dianna Wright, the Rev. Jihyun Oh, and Sue Rheem. They are shown at the ruins of Jerash, Jordan. | Credit: Rich Copley | PC(USA)

_{Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) visitors to the Holy Land in January 2026 were (clockwise from top left) Douglas Dicks, Global Ecumenical Liaison for the Middle East and Europe; Mike Ferguson, Editor of Presbyterian News Service; Dr. Dianna Wright, Director of Ecumenical and Inter-religious Relations; the Rev. Jihyun Oh, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly and Executive Director of the Unified Agency; and Sue Rheem, PC(USA) Representative to the United Nations and Manager of the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations. They are shown at the ruins of Jerash, Jordan.}

Read more about PC(USA) representatives’ recent visit to Israel, Palestine, and Jordan:

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Topics: International Issues, Global Ecumenical Liaisons, Middle East, Easter, Christmas