It's appropriate to grieve

There is a lot of grief and frustration (and even rage) about not being able to access our holy places here in Israel right now.

After Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa was blocked from praying at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday for security reasons, the internet burned up with anger at the Israeli government.

(They now made a deal with the government that they can worship there now.)

So much of the blame ignored the fact that the Old City has been hit with missile fragments, including near the Church, and it hasn't been safe.

This also ignores the fact that Jews have not been allowed at the Western Wall (Kotel) either.

We just got a message telling Israeli citizens (and visitors) that the Kotel will continue to be closed throughout the Passover holiday.

Usually, during the week of Pesach the Kotel is packed, with prayers and people wanting to visit one of our holiest locations.

Seeing images of an empty plaza is devastating.

It brings back too many images, in my own lifetime, and many before, of when we didn't have access to the Kotel.

I have two things I want to say:

The first is that we should be looking at Iran, not each other. It's their government that is rocketing Jerusalem, a holy city for the Abrahamic religions, Jews, Muslims, and Christians.

Don't blame Israel for wanting to keep its citizens of all religions safe.

Secondly, when I think about an empty Kotel, I am reminded of the lessons we've learned over the last decade.

Sometimes we need to have patience.

Sometimes it is too dangerous to go outside. And we need to have faith that this moment will pass.

It's appropriate to grieve. To feel a yearning.

For me, I am choosing to then offer those feelings as surrender to God.

We are living revealed miracles every day.

We are in a process- a process of war, a pre-messianic process, a process of securing security for our region for the next generation (if we do it right...)

I trust that God is holding us right now.

I believe that no moment lasts forever.

I think that we will have many beautiful and meaningful Passovers to come.

Right now, we have a specific job.

We're in the moment right before the Exodus - the moment where God passes over us, and we, huddled in our houses, await redemption.

When the dawn breaks again, we'll be ready for a new time of peace.

** Pic: The Kotel Cam right now.