In the fall of 2012, the St. Mark’s Mid-East Working Group offered an opportunity for travel to the Holy Land in 2013. Twenty-eight travelers from St. Mark’s responded. Now we are about to depart at the end of September and for 11 days in late September and early October, we will visit holy sites, meet with people whose lives are integral to the land, engage in thoughtful discussions, and be part of a contextual pilgrimage.
Our trip, led by MEJDI tours, will include meetings with groups and individuals who are deeply invested in work for peace and justice. MEJDI is world-known for offering cultural immersion, dual-narrative tours. Their guides will introduce us to the people and places. These opportunities to see the causes of Arab/Israeli conflict as well as the opportunities for peace in Israel and Palestine.
This blog will serve as a window into our day to day experiences. As we individually and collectively work through this very personal experience, we promise to share with the St. Mark’s community honest, thoughtful accounts of our travels. In the end, we hope, this pilgrimage will provide (for us and our blog readers) a greater understanding of historic and current issues in the Middle East, and together we’ll use the knowledge we’ve gained to further partnerships with peace-seeking individuals and groups in all faith communities.
St. Mark's Holy Land Pilgrimage 2013 