The Harmony in the Quiet Places

THE HARMONY IN THE QUIET PLACES

The entrance to the center of the garden

     The sunlight that collided with the dark pines brought forth the shadows on a cobblestone street where I set my feet. It was mild winter with somewhat dry and cool weather. As I walked through a small way, I heard the sound of the dancing shrub that swaying in the wind on the left and right. I turned in any direction to answer my curiosity towards my surroundings. All the plants on the left and on the right were very well-maintained. I had not walk too far yet I could not wait to find out the other surprises in front of me. The place where I stood was The Garden Tomb, Jerusalem.

     I hung my camera on my neck and walked through a small half-round wooden bridge that lead to the other side of The Garden Tomb. I was very fascinated by the view around me. I stopped my footstep for a moment on that bridge. The clouds above was faintly visible as it is covered by many trees. The trunk of the tree was large with its branches that spread in all directions. The leaves was not too green but not yellow either. I rarely find those kind of trees in the cities. This garden gave a different impression from most of the garden that I knew. With the limited time, as far as possible I went around this garden to satisfy my eyes.

     From different directions, I heard the beautiful melodies of some group who sang with harmony. They sang with a half voice because in here we should not be noisy. Many people from all over the world came here to pray. There was a tomb behind hundreds of white stones that piled up into a wall which Christians believe that it was the place of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Therefore, people often came to this garden to pray or sing. In the past many archaeologist was here for a research because some spot in this place was the historical place according to the Bible. The Garden is open for tours and worship services every Monday to Saturday from 08:30 to 17:30, although closed for lunch during the winter.

The benches under a big tree

     The Garden Tomb is a quiet place preserved for worship and reflection. Many long brown benches with three legs to sit and enjoy the surroundings while listen to groups from all over the world worship in their native tongue. The benches in this garden was nailed permanent and arranged that facing to the tomb.  There are many beautiful garden in the world, but the atmosphere that I felt when I sat on one of the benches was hard to explain. The sound of people singing blend with the peacefulness of the garden.  There were no exhaust noise or  people shouting.  The serenity that I never felt in the city. Just to sit and enjoy the cold wind makes me felt very peaceful.

     Although I felt that my butt was already sticked to the bench because I was float off by the cozy atmosphere, but I had to go further to the other parts of the garden. The beauty and the atmosphere that were created in here makes me want to explore every part of this garden. The building materials which most widely used in the garden is the ivory white rocks that had a hole on some spots. A mixture of beige and white colour. Walls and some stairs from white stone gave the impression of something clean and bright. I walked down the stairs while looking at the plants and flowers that adorn this garden. All of the flowers are colorful and unique, I had never seen them before. Some of the flowers are arranged neatly in a pot that was spread throughout the garden, and the others was planted around the wall. The sun was shining to the flower petals and makes the pretty colour radiating. There was a butterfly perched on the tip of the flower petals. The flower petals was swaying because of the cold wind.

The writing behind a wooden door inside the tomb

     Arrived at the smallest yet the most important part of this garden. It was the open tomb carved into a rock face. The entrance to the tomb  was not too high, so for tall people they have to stoop when they wanted to get into the tomb. I was waiting in line to be able to look into the tomb because the capacity inside the tomb just about five people. My fingers touched the rough walls inside and it was uneven. The height of the ceiling was low and had a khaki colour. It did not take a long time for people to look into the tomb because the tomb was empty. However, me as a Christian was very glad to see one of the historical places that written in the Bible.

     Accompanied by the sounds of a birdsong, I walked to the exit way to continue the tour to other places with happiness. Sometimes we need a tranquil place. A place where we can take a long deep breath and calm down for a while our head and heart.

Jessica Nathania