You are here

Pray for Peace in Jerusalem (video)

Three years ago, my heart pulled me to Israel and Palestine to experience the reality of this iconic conflict for myself, talk to Israelis and Palestinians, and search for ways to support peace. It is one of the hardest places I've ever been, where CryPeace means crying more tears and crying louder for justice than almost anywhere else. This week, as renewed tensions escalate over Jerusalem, my heart breaks that this city, holy to all three Abrahamic faiths, is a cause of hatred instead of love, violence instead of peace, war instead of worship. We have to struggle for peace, that is certain — it is not a given or spontaneous outcome of protracted conflict — but we must struggle for peace peacefully, otherwise the violence of the struggle will destroy and prevent peace.

 

My heart breaks that Jerusalem, holy to all three Abrahamic faiths, is a cause of hatred instead of love, violence instead of peace, war instead of worship.

 

I want to write big, urgent, prayerful messages this week for peace in Jerusalem, as I did on the Israeli/Palestinian wall then: "Let's dream out loud in support of peace." So I'm writing it on my Facebook, Twitter, and CryPeace walls. Write your own messages for peace on your digital or metaphorical walls, taking care to write them peacefully. Immense political, ideological, emotional and historical walls already exist; we need our struggles for peace to tear walls down, not build them higher. Lament and cry, then work for justice enabling peace. What else can we do?

You'll hear two tear gas canisters exploding in the background as I wrote this message for peace on the Israeli/Palestinian security wall near Bethlehem in the West Bank. Almost daily, children in the Aida refugee camp clash with guards just beyond the wall here. I heard 30 explosions in 2 hours, and smelled the acrid smell of tear gas while I wrote this.

 

We must struggle for peace peacefully, otherwise the violence of the struggle will destroy and prevent peace.

 

Related CryPeace stories:

Article Type: 
Location :