Marian Povey during her pilgrimage in 1993

Focus on Jerusalem

Jerusalem fell under the spotlight at the annual meeting between Hastings Against War and the Hastings and District Interfaith Forum on 1 October, as two speakers spoke on the subject of the ancient city, which is considered holy by Jews, Christians and Moslems. John Enefer writes.

The first speaker was St Leonard’s resident, Marian Povey, who, in 1993, visited Jerusalem during a Christian pilgrimage. Marian visited key Christian sites, such as the Mount of Beatitudes where Jesus delivered the Sermon of the Mount, the Garden of Gethsemane, where it’s believed he prayed on the night of his arrest, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which is believed to contain Christ’s tomb.

The second speaker was John Lynes, a local Quaker who has worked extensively in Palestine with the Christian Peacemaker Team (CPT).  The CPT engages in efforts to promote peace and counter injustice around the world. In Palestine CPT, in its own words, supports ‘Palestinian-led, nonviolent, grassroots resistance to the Israeli occupation and the unjust structures that uphold it.’

In his presentation John sketched the historical background to the tensions in Jerusalem and outlined a plan to disarm the city. He suggested a week of prayer for Jerusalem by the interfaith community, the removal of all weapons from Jerusalem, and the prevention of new weapons entering the city by baggage checks at its gates.

The meeting got off to a meditative start with St Leonards resident, Sarah Evans playing sound bowls, which create sounds believed to have healing properties. She played a variety of bowls which make sounds of different pitches.

Also in: Hastings People