In the movie Letters to Juliet, a young woman intercepts a letter written to Romeo’s famous soulmate, which, like hundreds of other notes, had been tucked into the crevices of a stone wall in the hopes that Juliet would respond to their pleas for romantic intervention. The lead character takes it upon herself to play the role of Juliet and embarks on an adventure to find the missing beau and reunite him with his long lost lady.

Letters to Juliet is a sweet coming-of-age tale that may seem far-fetched, yet the fictional story brings to mind a real place where hundreds of thousands of people journey year after year, seeking answers to life’s questions. The place I’m referring to is the Western Wall in Jerusalem, also known as the “Wailing Wall.” This aptly named barrier is situated on the western side of the Temple Mount and was part of the ancient wall that once surrounded the temple courtyard.

Nowadays, the Western Wall is the closest spot that Jews can get to the site of the former temple, so it is revered as a holy place. Jews and other religious pilgrims travel to the wall to pray, and many people have left behind their petitions written on pieces of paper that they tucked into nooks and crannies in the stones. The reason that Israel’s Western Wall is so highly regarded is its proximity to the temple site. The Old Testament referred to the temple as God’s house—quite literally, which is why the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem remains such a sore spot between religious groups in the region.

One of the Psalms of Ascent—Psalm 122—reminds us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Let’s focus our prayer time this week on pilgrims, seekers and peace.