How to Pray in a Seemingly Hopeless Situation

"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May they prosper those who love you..." 

Psalm 122:6 (NRSV)

A pre-dawn view from the rooftops of the Sisters of Zion Convent off the Via Dolorosa.

     Friends in the faith, how do we recite, read, and preach this in light of the current situation in Jerusalem? Read the following article published at The Times of Israel:  https://www.timesofisrael.com/heads-of-jerusalem-churches-deliver-last-minute-plea-to-trump/

     Over time the city has been occupied by a host of ethnic and religious groups. For people of the book, we've come to associate Jerusalem with Jews, Christians, and Muslims. In the last few centuries Druze, Baha'i, and others have been added to the landscape. Surely, this verse - the entire chapter - is set on edge for us moderns. Whether it is out of our faith affiliation and/or our political persuasion, as human beings we are compelled to pray for the safety and welfare of ALL of Jerusalem's inhabitants, regardless of religion, claims to landownership, nationality and ethnicity, class position, and political commitment. 

     After years of praying, I've figured out that prayer is less about asking than it is about listening. But even more to the point, prayer is about waiting; waiting even when doing so seems nonsensical. This waiting is no ordinary waiting, for it implies that we attend to the obvious. Chief among the obvious is "doing no harm." Second to that is gathering together with others - different from us - for the endless task of listening to each other. This kind of listening requires that we suspend advancing out point and forming our argument while the other party is speaking. 

     For us in the U.S., who are not in the crosshairs of real and symbolic bullets, shells, and bombs that may/will(?) be launched in light of the recent political announcement as to the naming of Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel, our patience and prayers for our sisters and brothers in this region is needed more than our rhetoric. We don't live there. Specific to this situation, to wait and listen is neither a waste of time nor a manifestation of prior poor political leadership. America has her own badly need long listening sessions to conduct. Nevertheless, I resolve to take the long view and engage in prayer alone and in groups of people who hold perspectives different from my own. I pray in my heart as I visualize the faces of every Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Druze, Baha'i, persons of other faiths, and those with no faith. I offer prayers on behalf of every child, young adult, older adult, LGBTQI, straight, gender-nonconforming person in Israel and beyond. 

     Amen.  Ameen.  Ashe.