Show THE CITY BEAUTIFUL jerusalem Jera aalam Is in not to the th lV estern visitor in the century there Is an article on the miracle ot of the greek creek fire by richard watson gilder describing the scenes of holy week in jerusalem this has a particular timeliness from tho momentous events in which the greek church plays an important part mr air gilder says A city beautiful on palm sunday from the stairway near the spot where mary iary stood when tho body of her son was taken from the cross I 1 saw the greek procession in the church of 0 the sepulcher then I 1 went 01 er to the mount of olives looking back from a field well up on the hillside the whole city lay beneath the temple area with the great mosque in full view across the valley ot of from here jerusalem with its clear and stately outline of wal walls I 1 s the domes and minarets mina I 1 s of 0 the mosques and the tha old towers and churches has a singular completeness perhaps even in solomons time from the outside khoii though h different it was not more lovely the warm gray ot of the stones of the city Is the color of the unbleached wool of goats the hills are darker with a delicate bloom over them spotted with gray olive orchards and melting in the distance into violet it is indeed a city set upon st a hill isolated distinguished the e realizes realize ones lifelong dream ot of the city cily of god the sunset sky was wild and cold with streaks of sunshine the rain ceased and the air grew warm in the rich low light all blemishes were lost and the city beautiful was spread before the pilgrims eyes perhaps it was here that christ wept over jerusalem along or near this path he must have come on the day of his entry on the firm palm sunday whose feast was being kept this very day throughout all christendom there were no other travelers a few syrians passed by I 1 gathered some flowers by the wayside and turned again homeward you tee see that we lid did not find the holy land disillusioning there are many things that confound the western mind thero there is and degradation and superstition but here is the same sky the same landscape the same dominating orient the painter who knows the holy land best said to us in jerusalem at times when I 1 look at these fields and realize that this very picture was reflected in the eyes of jesus I 1 ice fee myself shiver the bible no matter one theology or philosophy hers here takes on a vitality and meaning beyond the power of conception alea hitherto are the places real jerusalem all syria Is real and some of the sacred places are unquestionable bul bu you do not have to be sure that th place Is exact when you listen with f s new emotion to the words of jesus ie pealed by the french monk monic on goo cool friday and at that station of the th cross where christ cried out daugh of jerusalem weep not for mo me but weep for yourselves and for you children |