Photo by Wendy Choy-Chan

By Wendy Choy-Chan

A sight quite common in Jerusalem and Israel, but not so much here in North America, is the abundance of stones – stone roadways,  stone buildings, and the many ruins we visited with stone walls, stone arches and stone structures.  The stones tell many stories – from their different sizes and composites, and the combinations of different stone types within the structures.

The different stones on Lion’s Gate tell the story of nations and empires conquering the Holy City, tearing down and building up its walls.  Same with many other synagogues and sacred sites, with Crusaders building on top of Muslims on top of Romans etc..  And then, there are the numerous bullet holes on the stone wall at Zion Gate telling the story of a nation’s rebirth just a couple decades earlier.

The following quote is seen at the entrance to the Jerusalem Archeological Park:

The Jerusalem stone, so resilient and supple, bows to the transient follies of mankind, bearing testimony like a hundred witnesses, and yet, remains silent.

And I wonder, what testimonies can they read by looking at me?  What kind of stories do I tell in my silence?

Wendy Choy-Chan came to North America from Hong Kong when she was 15.  She is now a full-time mom and part-time student at Fuller Northwest studying for herMA in Theology.  She lives with her husband and two daughters in Seattle, WA.