Peace In Judaism

In addition, Judaism, Christianity and Islam can co-exist in Jerusalem because of their teachings of peace. Peace is a crucial belief to all three religions and is frequently mentioned in sacred writings. Some of them even specifically explain the importance of peace in Jerusalem. One of the ultimate goals of Judaism is to achieve peace both physically and spiritually. When the Messiah comes, “nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.” (Isaiah 2:4 and Micah 4:3). Peace in Jerusalem is specifically emphasized as well in Judaism. Yerushalayim, the name of Jerusalem, is made up of two words: “Ir” meaning city and “shalom” meaning peace. In other words, Jerusalem is a city of peace. There, Jewish

Likewise, the accomplishment of peace is a crucial mission for Christians. The Beatitudes suggests God’s admiration of people pursuing peace by blessing the peacemakers, “for they will be called children of God” (“THE EIGHT BEATITUDES OF JESUS”). In Islam, life is considered one of the most valuable things as shown by a quote in the Qur’an which categorizes the taking of one innocent life as the taking of all of Mankind (Qur’an 5:32). A military Jihad, the Holy War in Islam, is only justified when it aims to defend Islam or to bring good which will be approved by Allah (“Jihad”). It only occurs with the opponents starting the wars first and more importantly, as soon as the opponents incline towards peace, “Allah Hath opened no way for you (to war against them)” (Qur’an 4:90). It is crucial to call religious people’s attention to these teachings of peace as lots of conflicts in the past were caused by violations of these

From a religious aspect, I suggest a new interpretation of Jerusalem as a state of mind rather than a physical land. It is undeniable that Jerusalem is holy to all three religions because of the historical events happened on this land. However, the picture of a spiritual Jerusalem which weighs the same or even more than the physical Jerusalem should not be overlooked as well. Jerusalem can be seen as a Heavenly place instead of a physical city. According to Christian beliefs, the Heavenly Jerusalem is far more superior to the earthly city Jerusalem as it is purer and open to all nations (“Spiritual Jerusalem - The City of God”). Christ dwells in the Heavenly Jerusalem and from there he will return to judge all the cities of sin (Luecke). The New Testament supports this argument by stating that “I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband” (Revelation 21:2). In addition, Jerusalem can be portrayed as a mental state that connects individuals with God. In the book Jerusalem Blessed, Jerusalem Cursed, the author draws a conclusion based on Galatians and Philippians that “those who live by faith in Christ already live in the life of the new Jerusalem; they are already citizens of heaven” (Idinopulos). Compared to material things, faith in God and