Locked in the Garden of Gethsemane

Our 10 day tour of Israel in 2015 was a once in a lifetime experience. The kind of trip you will remember forever. However there was one experience that was also one of a kind.

My story is set at the foot of the Mount of Olives in The Garden of Gethsemane. The Garden of Gethsemane is currently run by the Church of All Nations, also known as the Church or Basilica of the Agony. This Church schedules tour groups for visits in the Garden, and ours had a one hour visit scheduled. We arrived and were shown into the Garden by the Bishop on duty that day, and he locked the gate behind him as he left. The large wrought iron gate is always locked because of the threat of vandalism.

Garden of Gethsemane

So we had one hour to walk around, meditate, pray or what ever we each decided to do. Our group gathered and our leader, Bruce VanNatta, read aloud the Biblical story of Jesus last night in the Garden with his disciples. After this we all went and did our own thing, planning to meet after an hour, when the Bishop would unlock the gate and let us out.

Benches where we prayed in the Garden

Mr. and Mrs. Paradise Found walked around, enjoying the sense of history and noticing the aged olive trees in the Garden. We were told many are over a thousand years old, possibly even a few from Jesus time.

Very old olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane

When it was time to depart, everyone quietly arrived at the gate, each aware of the significance of this place we had visited. Now it was time to leave, and we wanted to remember this moment. No one was disappointed when the Bishop was late, dwelling here a moment longer was no problem. When the delay turned longer, our tour guide was getting anxious, we had a schedule to keep. After 30 minutes we asked a local to see what was keeping the Bishop. He returned and said the Bishop was doing Mass, and it could be awhile.

Bruce and our tour guide at the Garden Gate, waiting for the Bishop

Bruce (our leader) had his family along, and his sons began scavenging around the garden for lock pick "tools" when the delay reached 45 minutes. Bruce had been a mechanic before becoming an Evangelist, when his boys came up with some wire, Bruce began attempting to pick the lock on the gate. Finally, about one hour after the Bishop had been scheduled to let us out, Bruce actually picked the lock on the Gate at the Garden of Gethsemane so we could get out. Not one of us will ever forget this magical day, and our veteran tour guide said to her knowledge this had never happened before.

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