Jerusalem, Israel
And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he saith to his disciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray . . .
—Bible, Mark 14:32–36
When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane with his disciples before his arrest, he told them to sit while he walked off a short distance to pray. Today, the Church of All Nations, also known as the Basilica of the Agony, sits upon the site where Jesus prayed, and the sacred piece of bedrock upon which he prayed is enshrined in the church.
If you desire to cultivate the kind of spiritual strength that Christ exemplified, see the basilica that numerous nations helped build. Located at the base of the Mount of Olives, the Garden of Gethsemane is on many Jerusalem walking tours and is easy to reach by rental car or taxi.
Reflect on the agony Jesus felt as he prayed. Notice the purplish-blue alabaster used in the basilica’s windows to evoke a somber mood, indicative of Christ’s agony even as he accepted God’s will. Think of three ways you could work on developing that kind of spiritual resolve.
The Church of All Nations was built on a site once occupied by a fourth-century B.C. basilica that toppled in an earthquake and a twelfth-century Crusader chapel. The modern church was consecrated in 1924.