Pray with us: World Week for Peace in Palestine/Israel

Join us in prayer:

World Week for Peace in Palestine/Israel

#DismantlingBarriers

Yesterday morning began the World Week for Peace in Palestine/Israel, an annual event sponsored by the Palestine Israel Ecumenical Forum of the World Council of Churches. At Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Jerusalem's Old City, the English-speaking and Arabic-speaking congregations joined together for worship.

Photo by Ben Gray/ELCJHL

Prayers and hymns were offered in both languages. We also welcomed visitors from Norway and the United States.

We heard Scripture readings from Ephesians ("Christ has already broken down the dividing wall") and from the Gospel according to Mark ("Who will roll the stone away from the tomb for us?") These Bible texts remind us that the things we think are immovable and permanent are never as powerful as the love of God in Christ Jesus.




In place of  a sermon, we heard testimonies from Palestinian brothers and sisters about what it is like to live under occupation and in the shadow of the wall. Some poetry related to the theme was also read.

Photo by Yusef Daher

A little while later, just down the street, a Palestinian man was arrested violently by a number of Israeli soldiers, on the Via Dolorosa (the Way of the Cross.) A Palestinian friend, who had just been with us for prayer, posted this photo and commented:

Photo by Yusef Daher

"At the start of the World Week for Peace

Another Palestinian ... Another arrest 

Another Cross

another Station... Another Sunday"

Early this Monday morning, we awoke to the sound of sirens, as a Palestinian allegedly stabbed two police officers at Herod's Gate, and was shot and killed (or, some reports say, seriously wounded). There have been several such events in the last few days, with Israeli soldiers lightly injured and several Palestinians killed. This is a marked increase in violence, and a worrying sign as we approach the anniversary of the start of last year's so-called "Stabbing Intifada."

There is no better time for the global church to join in prayers for peace with justice! There are many other struggles in the world today. There are many other sufferings, many other conflicts.

But this one is happening in our Holy City. This one is happening on the streets where Our Lord Jesus walked. People today are carrying the cross of suffering, persecution, and oppression just as he did. People are living in fear of each other--and we know that fear always breeds hatred and ultimately violence.

If we believe the love of God could move the stone away from Our Lord's tomb, then we must believe the love of God can bring down the Separation Wall, can soften hearts, can remove the disease of racism, and can overcome the unholy evils of violence and hatred which threaten this Holy Land.

Will you join us in prayer? You can follow this blog this week for prayers each day.

Let us pray:

Holy God,

In great love you sent your Son, Jesus, to break down every dividing wall. Give us the strength and courage to dismantle the many barriers erected by human sin. During this World Week for Peace in Palestine and Israel, we especially pray for the dismantling of the Israeli Separation Wall. Open the ears of those who need to hear the reality of the situation. Open the hearts of all to the suffering of the other. Open the eyes of those who have not recognized their own complicity. And then, following in the footsteps of your Son Jesus and all the saints, open our hands to work for peace with justice for all the people of Palestine and Israel. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.