Praying at the Wall

Last year I took this picture at the Bethlehem check point; I loved the slogan, "alternative wailing wall." This year, the graffiti is gone and has been replaced by another one, less colorful. The Wall is a living thing, changing with people and carrying their thoughts, cries, demands. In this sense, it is truly an alternative Wailing Wall. Today, I am leaving Bethlehem and going on the other side of the Wall to Jerusalem. I will be there for the next two weeks. Later this afternoon, I will cross the check point one more time; always a stressful experience I find.

As a way of saying goodbye, I attended the Wall Walk on Friday evening. Each Friday, the Caritas sisters come to the Wall, next to the checkpoint to walk and pray. Anyone can join them during this time of prayer. I thought that would be a good way to end my stay here. It is some kind of peaceful moment, despite the environment with concrete and barbwires and machine guns and soldiers… it transforms the Wall into a wall of prayer and lament.

That Friday evening, the new EAPPI team joined the walk; they just arrived and are settling in and learning about what their life will look like for the next 3 months. It was nice to meet them, to shake their hands, and to walk with them along the Wall. I know they are here; somehow, it will help the prayers to go on and perhaps they will once be heard.