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For more commentary on this week's readings, see the Reflections on the Lectionary page, which includes Jaeger's current Living by the Word column as well as past magazine and blog content. For full-text access to all articles, subscribe to the Century.
A few years ago, while wandering through the Old City of Jerusalem, I stumbled upon a spray-painted sign on the side of a small factory building. It called out in English: “We need peace.”
It seemed to me like a modern-day cry of “hosanna” coming from the people of Jerusalem. In the course of my lifetime—which now spans 50 years—I have witnessed the Middle East peace process as a repeating cycle of dashed hopes. First there is the longing for peace. Then comes a wave of hope for successful negotiations that might lead to a two-state solution to end the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian people. Then when the talks fail, disappointment follows, and then anger that leads to more violence.
