Jerusalem Contrasts

Upscale Mamilla Mall Across from Jaffa Gate

Jerusalem is a city of contrasts!  But aren't most cities?  Yes, but Jerusalem stretches the contrasts over centuries, not decades.

This fact might best be seen in the area of Jaffa Gate.  The Mamilla Mall has been open for several years now.  Locals gather for upscale shopping and fine dining experiences.

Nearby are the markets of the Old City and East Jerusalem.  Today, Brenda and I experienced both.  We needed Ibuprofen and shopped at the Superpharm in Mamilla Mall.  Later we purchased bananas from a vegetable market in East Jerusalem.

Vegetable Market in East Jerusalem

In noting the stark contrasts, I am not making a value judgment.  We enjoyed both markets, but they seem centuries apart.

Such contrasts await the pilgrim and student to this land.  In terms of greater biblical understanding, bridging the 1st century and the 21st century is key.  I often see my annual flight to this land a sort of time machine.  "Going back to the 1st century" provides me with the context I need to hear what the scriptures are saying and what they mean!