The city is peace
is an oxymoron.
Christians, Moslems and Jews
trace their history there
amid cobblestone streets stained with blood.

The sons of Abraham
have fought like brothers
(for centuries)
jealously killing one another
without regard for
innocent lives
or the destiny to which they were called:

To love the LORD your God
with all your heart,
soul, mind and strength
and to love your neighbor as yourself.

May we continue to pray
for the peace of Jerusalem
and Gaza
and the West Bank.

O God of Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob and Jesus,
breathe your breath of shalom
over the graveyard of peace
that dry lifeless bones may live. Amen.