"The Pit" at St. Peter's in Gallicantu

The Book - "I am counted among those who go down to the Pit; I am like those who have no help...You have put me in the depths of the Pit, in the regions dark and deep." - Psalm 88:4-6

The Land - In the depths of the church of St. Peter's in Gallicantu, there is "the Pit." It is not just any pit, but the Pit where tradition holds that Jesus was held after his arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane.

The modern church is built over the remains of an earlier Byzantine structure. The focal point of the first church is what appears to be a holding pit for the worst of criminals. Since the pit opening was marked by crosses, the Byzantines surmised that this site could have been where the high priest held Jesus on holy Thursday evening for trial. Early Christians often venerated sites associated with gospel events by marking them with crosses.

The courtyard of the church remembers the confrontation of Simon Peter with the women servants of the High Priest. In fear and cowardice, the protesting disciple fulfilled Jesus' prophecy of a three-fold denial.

Descending into the pit is quite an emotional experience for even the least sentimental of us. Certainly, this site bears consideration in the traditional sense. While one cannot assure the authenticity of the site, it can be as is often said: "this site is a good place to remember the story of Jesus' arrest, trial, betrayal, and dark night of the soul."

The Lesson - The Book of Psalms serves a two-fold purpose for the student or worshipper. A psalm allows one to vent the deepest of emotions, while giving expression to the voice of God. In Psalm 88, the psalmist is in the depths of despondency. He senses death is near, and he has no one to help him. His companions have shunned him, and God's absence has compounded his desperate estate.

While praying this psalm, the reader can easily see why it has been associated with Jesus. As any faithful Jew, Jesus memorized the scriptures. In other settings, Jesus prayed the psalms. On the night that he was betrayed by Judas and denied by Simon Peter, Jesus might have turned to a number of psalms for comfort and expression of all his feelings in addition to Psalm 88.

Who among us has not found similar comfort from praying this psalm? While few of us will experience "the Pit" as Jesus, we who have known the depths of abandonment, darkness, and impending death yet find hope in God's Word and God's faithfulness.