With the recent bombings in Jerusalem, it is time again to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Psalm 122 says:

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:

   “May those who love you be secure.

May there be peace within your walls

   and security within your citadels.”

I will seek your prosperity.

(Psalm 122:6-9).

When I visited Jerusalem about a decade ago, I was thrilled that I could pray for the peace of Jerusalem at the Western Wall.

I often call the Western Wall of the Temple Mount the “Wailing Wall”. Why?

Because that was what it was called when I was growing up before the 1967 War when Israel took control of the Temple Mount for the first time in almost 2,000 years. The name “Wailing Wall” recognized the anguish of Jews when they did not control their ancient Promised Land and, often, suffered limitations on visiting and praying near the Temple Mount.

Here is what I wrote about my visit in my previously posted blog titled “Jesus Climbs the Temple Mount”:

I went to Jerusalem several years ago.

One of my most memorable moments came at the Wailing Wall (often called the Western Wall).

Its gigantic stone blocks rose high above me—the only remnant of the retaining wall that once encircled the Temple Mount.

This Wailing Wall is all that remains of the magnificent Jewish Temple where Jesus walked. It’s a place of prayer for Jews and for all others who come.

I prayed for the peace of Jerusalem.

I looked up. I felt tiny as I gazed at the Temple Mount (the most important site in Judaism).

Far above me, I could see parts of the mosque that sits on top of what Muslims call Mount Moriah (the third most important site in Islam after Mecca and Medina).

I prayed again for the peace of Jerusalem.

QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT

Why has it been so hard to establish peace in Jerusalem and throughout the Holy Land?

What wise ways can establish the peace of Jerusalem and the Holy Land for all people who live there and for all people who visit there?

READ MORE

Please read my entire blog “Jesus Climbs the Temple Mount”.

For related ideas about establishing peace, please read my blogs “June 1962” and the blogs listed in its “READ MORE” section, including “Ending Violence: Putting Faces with Names”, “Ending Violence: Embracing the Spirit of Peace”, “Curtailing Force: Replacing Nails with Glue”, and “Spilling Coffee”.