The posts from 20-28 March 2014 were originally posts formatted for Tumblr. Click here to see the original blog.
Listening to a cacophony
Sunday morning worship began at 6:00am at the Church of the Resurrection (Holy Sepulchre) with many churches worshipping in their own tradition at the same time. Pictured above:
Ethiopian Coptic priests celebrating at their shrine attached to the north of the aedicule containing the tomb of Christ.
A tourist kisses the ground under an altar built on Golgotha where Jesus’ cross is thought to have stood whilst a Roman Catholic Mass is celebrated in the adjoining Chapel of the Eleventh Station of the Cross.
A Greek Orthodox priest waits whilst the Patriarch prepares to worship at the tomb – the Patriarch’s preparations took some considerable time – out of view but with much loud singing.
It is easy to hear the competing sound as an auditory turf war. This appears to be a feature of the Holy City. But it is also the sound of people from around the world praying and maybe this helps explain what we see in the streets.
