Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! ~Matthew 23:37
We pilgrims have been sent into the Old City of Jerusalem without a map. We wander through stone streets between crumbling walls, eventually stumbling across the Monastery of the Flagellation, built to honor the place where Jesus was beaten. A young man approaches us and offers to be our guide. A member of our group asks him: Are you a Christian? The young man spits a reply: I was born in Bethlehem to Muslim parents. Now I believe nothing. How can I, here? Religion is good for nothing but hatred. His words pierce me.
How would you respond to the young man?
Prayer: O Spirit, help me wrestle with painful questions.
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