Palestinians
are afraid, angry, and agitated. Well, this is a generalization, but
it seems to capture some of the sentiments of some of the Palestinians who live
in and around the Old City of Jerusalem. I see pictures of those who gathered
on the streets near the Lions Gate outside the old city. I wonder what is in their hearts and
minds as they pray. When praying, they face south. So I assume they are Muslims, though
this is an assumption. Muslims profess to hold the faith of
Abraham, claim to adore the one and merciful God, and acknowledge that God will
judge humanity on the last day. They venerate Jesus and Mary, though
they do not accept nor retain all Christian teachings concerning Mary and Jesus. When I see them praying, I realize
only God fully knows their thoughts and hearts. I watch and I pray.
There are two things that concern me though. First, a weakness of humanity is to
use religion for a call to (and the use of) violence. Historically, this has been a
challenge for both Christianity and Islam. The use of force and violence, often
associated with falsehood, is a real temptation. Secondly, humanities use of religion
and ritual without a sincere faith in God. I believe that ritual and liturgy can
express sincerity. However, ritual can also be used to
mask, cover, and marginalize the hardness, the sins, the hatred, and the hypocrisy
of the human heart. The big question is
what are the thoughts, intentions, and plans of those who pray near the Lions
Gate? Is it for peace or is it for war?
As Jesus said, "nothing is hidden that will not be revealed" (Lk 12:2). As the Latins say, Tempus Omnia relevant, time will reveal all things.
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| Thousands of Muslim worshipers participate in evening prayers outside the Lions Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem, refusing to enter the Temple Mount enclosure to reach the Al-Aqsa Mosque inside, July 25, 2017. (Dov Lieber /Times of Israel) |
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