Have you ever heard the expression, "In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king'? I think it has some relevance to my involvement in the last few days of the Life of Jesus shoot.
For those who have been following this blog, I have been part of a seven-person team working in Israel to produce a documentary series on what historians know for certain about the life of Jesus " hence the title. It is in part a follow-on from the successful The Christ Files series which revealed what historians considered to be the most reliable sources for the life of Jesus " the Christian writings. In this new series Dr. John Dickson examines what historians can know for certain about Jesus' life.
The last two days of filming have taken us deep into the heart of Jerusalem, the Holy City. I'm quite privileged to be working with a very experienced crew that has become quite experienced with working in Israel over the past decade. Probably the most disturbing element of this new production, though, was the decision to dispense with a guide. Instead, I was given the job of navigating us around this ancient city. Now I will admit that this is my sixth documentary in Israel. However I must admit I felt more than a little apprehensive about leading the crew out into the back alleys of the Old City. It was very much like taking dad's car out on your own for the first time.
But, as I said, "in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king' " and in the land of the Book, the guy with the map is always correct. So, thanks to dusty memories and the people at Lonely Planet, I was able to give a passable impression of a seasoned traveler. And if I did have to retrace my steps on a couple of occasions, the people I was working with were polite or distracted enough by the colours of the markets not to care.
Our excursions into Jerusalem centred on some of the oldest parts of the city. Israel has straddled some of the most important trade routes in the Middle East for millennia. As a consequence Jerusalem's markets have always been home to the most incredible tastes, smells, attractions and innovations. One of the crew was a little disappointed that the city didn't conform to his idea of a more traditional eastern bizarre. But that would not have been Jerusalem. I look at some of the fashions in footwear here and laugh " then remind myself that I will be seeing them in Sydney stores in two years time.
Buried in the heart of the markets are, among other things, fabulous antique shops (promising to bring the past into the present), the Via Dolorossa (the path marking Jesus steps to the place of his execution) and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (one of the suggested sites for his crucifixion). Dr Dickson's historical eye carefully evaluated them all, including the supposed location of the disciples' Upper Room. You'll have to wait for the series' release to hear his verdict.
However the thing that stuck with me the most over the last two days was the way God chose to deal with us as we trudged through mile after mile of limestone allies. The first three days of shooting had gone remarkably well " everything according to plan, no time lost, unexpected locations discovered and filmed. However today seemed to make up for all of our good fortune. Carefully prepared sites forgot we were coming, sirens and school children made recording impossible and soaring temperatures threatened to sour tempers. There was a good hour we sat on top of the walls of Jerusalem where it seemed we were accomplishing nothing but a good sunburn.
But early on in the day the complications led to me being left alone with a Jewish museum worker for an extended period of time. We found fairly quickly that we had a lot in common in regard to married life and personal situation " apparently it's just as hard to break into Jerusalem's real estate market as it is Sydney's. As we discussed our lives, though, it became obvious we had radically different perspectives. I believed in a God I could call Father. He would only go as far as Lord or King. I did not feel bound by long lists of "shoulds'; he had three thousand years of rabbis breathing down his neck. I could call on God any time I wanted, in full confidence I would be hears. He had to pray in a group if he hoped to be heard because kings are impressed by numbers. Listening to him I was struck with just how poignant Jesus' first message to his disciples on that resurrection morning must have been:
"Go to my brothers and tell them, "I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"
It was no small thing that I had entered into a one-to-one relationship with the Lord of Hosts. And it was a funny moment when I realized that my God had probably allowed our best laid plans to go bust, just so I would be telling one of Israel's children just what was within his reach thanks to Jesus.
I had two more contacts with my new acquaintance throughout the day, and now it seems I'm set to go out to dinner with him and his wife tomorrow night. I am praying that what we film here will magnify Jesus' name for years to come, and that my conversation over the next few days will bring praise to His name for eternity.
The Life of Jesus crew is John Dickson (Presenter), Allan Dowthwaite (Director), Greg Clarke (Presenter / Researcher), Mal Hamilton & Paul Moss (Camera operators), Neil Kelly (Sound recordist) and Mark Hadley (Producer).
