A VISIT to Jerusalem can be an opportunity for pilgrimage, reflection and quiet prayer at holy sites.
It is also an extraordinary window into the reality of an ancient city in a conflicted land.
It’s easy to lose yourself in the winding, cobblestone alleyways of old Jerusalem amidst the jostle, the lively conversations in Arabic and Hebrew, and with the aromas of spices, coffee and freshly baked bagels and pita bread.
Christian pilgrims from around the world pack the narrow passages along the Via Dolorosa, following in the footsteps of Jesus as they retrace the 14 Stations of the Cross towards the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the site of Christ’s crucifixion.
Pilgrims are often warned their presence could cause offence – even spark verbal abuse or worse – as they pass through the Jewish and Muslim quarters.
I saw no evidence of it, but here religion and politics are never far apart.
It is just a few days since Prime Minister Scott Morrison flagged moving Australia’s embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a policy change that would align Australia with United States President Donald Trump’s controversial embassy move here this year, and would antagonise Arab and Muslim nations.
“It doesn’t worry me either way,” spice seller Ali told me in the old city.
“We just want peace.”
Read the article by Mark Bowling in The Catholic Leader.