Of ants

The streets from St Stephan's Gate (passing through our house) to the junction at the 3rd Station of the Cross - then spreading to the left up to the 5th Station; and to the right up to Damascus Gate - have all been festooned with lights and buntings for Ramadan. It is very festive. In fact they have even washed the streets! For the first time in 15 years I can see the actual stone colours - pink, yellow, white - when before it was thick with grime. There are many Jewish groups coming into our area to see and understand a bit of Islam and understand what Ramadan is about. It is very very good.

Also I saw Jewish women shopping for vegetables from the Bedouin women - each couldn't speak the language of the other, yet somehow transactions were made and everyone was happy. After choosing their vegetables, the Jewish women offer a handful of coins to the Bedouin women; the Bedouin picks from the coins the price she wants; both nod their heads in agreement, smile and move on.

So contrary to what many skeptics are spreading through the streets of Jerusalem that there can never be peace; these people are grassroots level are showing that it can. There is hope. So long as we leave extremism out.

This morning the Orthodox Christians celebrate the Dormition of Mary. They flocked to the Holy Sepulchre the whole night and began the solemn procession of carrying the ancient silver icon of Mary from the Holy Sepulchre to her tomb in the Kidron valley (passing by our house of course) at 5am. The bells were ringing for half an hour throughout the Old City and I was wondering what was happening. They usually never ring the church bells and the procession usually takes place in the evenings. What a surprise. Three days later they will celebrate Mary's assumption into heaven.

Peace among Christians? Why not? This morning Greek and Russian monks nodded heads and smiled and said "Good morning" to me as I went to the Holy Sepulchre to pray. It's not an isolated case - it happens all the time. Schism and heresy may be the official words flung about, but at our "little people" level, we're all friends.

Yet this reminds me of the African proverb - "When elephants fight, it is the ants who suffer."

But we mustn't give up hope. Mother Teresa said:

"Confidence in God can do all things. It is our emptiness and lowliness that god needs and not our plenitude."