Shared Roots

This image was taken during a travel seminar to Israel/Palestine with the BU School of Theology in May 2015. This image is a photo of the top of a very tall monument overlooking a great valley. At the top of this stone structure sits three separate trees. The group was told that the three separate trees represent the three Abrahamic faiths whose roots are in Israel/Palestine. I connected with the divine in this image as I am reminded that amidst the conflict between these religions there are many shared roots. Throughout the trip I learned of a mystical tradition in Judaism that recognizes that inherent to all humans is the “Divine Spark.” Further research reveled that Christianity and Islam also have mystical traditions that recognize the “Divine Spark” in all. With shared roots and shared understandings of the divine within and among us, this image gives me hope for interfaith peace and the divine, of all things, as catalyst for this.