I stayed at this house my first visit to Northern Ireland. My last day here, back in 1997 I left with the overwhelming sounds of police helicopters conducting exercises across the bay …it was eerie but as you remember quite necessary. It was upcoming marching season for Northern Ireland and no one was anticipating peace anytime soon. I remember being so challenged to pray for the peace of Belfast. I also remember watching a few months later Bill Clinton managing the signing of the Good Friday Agreement. (I wonder how many other college seniors were watching House of Commons at some crazy hour just to see it really happen) Of course, that didn’t completely stick but just in the last couple of months Northern Ireland has been finally seeing good days! The local report so far has been very exciting as well. I don’t think anyone ever thought Gerry Adams and Ian Paisley would be working side by side. Many people are grateful – and thankful to God for that matter. All of this came to my mind while hiking around the Murlough Reserve the other day. All of these events were just what I needed to be reminded of after departing Jerusalem. Quite honestly, I was a bit over stimulated trying to wrap my mind around everything surrounding Israel that I really did not know how to pray for the city that needs it desperately. It was good to take an afternoon and hike around sorting it out through a prayer time in a land that has had its own recent peace process. Praying for a city does matter. It matters greatly.
