Our Mission
Jerusalem an Opportunity for Peace
A CHANCE TO ACT TOGETHER
The term “Crusades” is normally a trigger point for enmity in the Middle East.
It need not be.
The 925th anniversary of the First Crusade’s conquest of Jerusalem offers a chance to transform a painful memory into a catalyst for dialogue and reconciliation.
The “Reconciliation Walk” movement of the 1990’s shows how.
Jerusalem Not An Ordinary Political Problem.
In the words of Turkish President Erdoğan, “the Jerusalem matter is not an ordinary geopolitical problem…. Jerusalem is our city, it is a city belonging to us.”
And Muslims are not alone in this.
Jerusalem remains a priority for many vocal Christians and it is a necessity of faith for religious Zionists. Even Iran has a sacred holiday dedicated to Jerusalem.
A Call for Humility.
As we reflect on the conflict of 925 years ago, we have an opportunity to help each other approach Jerusalem in a better way. This can be a time to think afresh on the dynamics of holy war and the possibilities of peace.
As we approach Jerusalem, the place that Muslims, Jews and Christians see as the symbol of divine judgment, let it be a place of penitence for all, a place where we are not rivals in the contest for domination, but brothers and sisters bowed in humility before a greater power.
We know we can muster the energy and resources for holy war. Why can’t we declare holy peace with the same intensity and commitment?
This will strike some as naïve. But more conventional solutions to the problem stridently ignore faith, hoping that modernity will finally change things.
This is not only unlikely, but it might also be the most miraculous and impractical of all cures. That’s because Jerusalem is a matter of intense faith for billions of people. Secular-materialist solutions cannot hold the answer.
As our differences over Jerusalem lie close to the core beliefs of our faiths, the best hope is to work within the deep meaning that Jerusalem holds for all of us.
So, rather than a call for watering down religious creeds, this is a plea to use those potent ideas for good.
It is possible to live in peace even with great divisions standing between us.
It just requires directing our powerful beliefs to that end.
And that means finding a fresh approach to the meaning of Jerusalem.