Ministry That Transforms: A Contemplative Process of Theological Reflection

The Long Journey takes us into the heart of Jerusalem, Mount Zion, the site of the Benedictine Dormition Monastery, a place where pilgrims, seekers, and peacemakers come for liturgies, prayer, and conversation. Our guide on this journey is James Paharik, who in nine closely woven essays, leads us through the labyrinthine spaces of Jerusalem, al the while digging through the layers of history to expose the rich stories that are the foundation of the city. We meet not only Jews and Palestinians but also Armenian and Ethiopian Christians, +¬migr+¬s and expatriates, living and working in this polyglot place. Paharik reveals hearts damaged by violence but also brimming with hope that Israel will one day soon live up to her calling, as expressed in Psalm 76:
In Judah God is known,
his name is great in Israel.
His abode has been established in Salem,
his dwelling place in Zion.
There he broke the flashing arrows,
 the shield, the sword, and the weapons of war.

James G. Paharik, PhD, is a member of the sociology faculty at Seton Hill University. He writes and teaches in the areas of comparative genocide and peace studies. Paharik is director of research and curriculum design for Beit Benedict Peace Academy and an oblate of Dormition Abbey, Jerusalem.