Over the period of Lent, we journeyed 120km, praying, grieving and crying out to God with our voices and our bodies for a ceasefire in Gaza, the West Bank and all of Palestine.
This distance was covered as part of twelve separate pilgrimages across Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch – each connecting important parts of the city to the core international airports of Aotearoa.
Each pilgrimage was 10km long – symbolising the distance between Bethlehem and Jerusalem – as we turned our eyes towards the escalation of violence in the west bank alongside Gaza.
The first pilgrimages occurred on Ash Wednesday, following the presentation of an open letter to the Government on the steps of Parliament. This letter called for the granting of visas and the associated diplomatic pressure necessary to allow those trapped in Gaza to cross the border.
The letter was part of the Christians United for Refuge campaign and carried the signatures of one hundred Church and Christian organisation leaders. Each of these pilgrimages ended at international airports – where prayer was held for the friends and family members we hope to one day be able to welcome with open arms
On Maundy Thursday, a group in Wellington walked from the airport back to Parliament – praying for courage, boldness and Christlike humility in our leaders to make these requests happen.
This is the second year Aotearoa Christians for Peace in Palestine has taken part in the global Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimages movement. Moving alongside more than 100 cities across 20 different countries.
As we move out of Lent, we remain convicted in prayer for a long and lasting ceasefire. For those who are are interested in a pilgrimage in their neighbourhood, we have created a resource to plan your own.
