Jaffa Gate, Jerusalem, Israel

I love this photo: two (presumably Arab Christian) boys found a place to play in an alcove of the stone Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem. I like it because it is symmetrical. I like it because two modern jeans-clad boys are making use of a historical place with familiarity that it indicates they have not known anything different than living in Jerusalem's Old City walls. And, I like the picture because I project my hopes for Israel and Palestine to live, play, and share borders and historic land peacefully onto this image.

In reality, the old city of Jerusalem is divided in to four distinct quarters where tourists cross through invisible boundaries, but locals rarely mingle. The Jaffa Gate is situated between the Armenian and Christian Quarters. The Jewish and Muslim Quarters balance out the remaining space between the city walls—less the site of Temple Mount that stands on its own right between the Jewish and Muslim quarters. Temple Mount continues to be a source of contention between the two groups of the City. The Dome of the Rock or قبة الصخرة (Qubbat As-Sakhrah) is the predominant structure on Temple Mount—a beautiful an iconic mosque built over the Foundation Stone. Muslims celebrate this stone as the place where Muhammad presumably rose to heaven. Jews honor the spot as their Temple's Holy of Holies and the place where they believe Abraham was prevented from sacrificing Isaac.

Christians have little interest in that spot of land for religious significance—and instead enjoy the Church of the Holy Sepulchre where it is believed Jesus, the Christ, was crucified and buried. This church is built within the Christian Quarter at the end of the Via Dolorosa that threads through the Muslim Quarter before reaching Golgatha. In Biblical times, the cross and grave would have been outside the City walls, but is now squarely within the confines of the Old City.

I liked the Jaffa Gate. Entering the Gate's portico, I felt transported from modern day to ancient times. Lively shops open up beyond the confines of the walls, and the Tower of David Museum is next-door. Outside, a man squeeze pomegranate and orange juice. It was tart—no sugar added, but so refreshing after a long early morning brisk hike up the Mount of Olives and back through the Old City. I wish Israel and Palestine (and all four quarters of Jerusalem) could be a little like that juice: Tart because they hold different beliefs that will never completely resolve with one another, but refreshed because they can see a renewed value in each other's human life—an understanding that makes their own beliefs and life experience richer and deeper.

For more information about the people of Jerusalem's Old City, there is an IMAX film currently circulating in 3D called Jerusalem (a National Geographic film). With sweeping imagery, the movie gave me the most comprehensive view of the City and how it is situated among the hills and valleys in Israel. The beautiful filmography, intriguing personal stories, and engaging history should not be missed and you will leave with a better understanding of the people who make up the patterns of conflict and livelihood in Jerusalem.

A passage of hope for peace everywhere:

"In that day the wolf and the lamb will live together; the leopard will like down with the baby goat. The calf and the yearling will be safe with the lion, and a little child will lead them all. The cow will graze near the bear. The cub and the calf will lie down together. The lion will eat hay like a cow. The baby will play safely near the hole of a cobra. Yes, a little child will put its hand in a nest of deadly snakes without harm. Nothing will hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain, for as the waters fill the sea, so the earth will be filled with people who know the Lord." - The Bible, Isaiah 11:6-9 NLT -