My wife Sarah approached the infamous “Western Wall” during our first trip to Israel in 2016. Winding her way through a sea of devout Jewish women, she clung tightly to a small piece of paper, a handwritten prayer that, according to tradition, she intended to wedge into a small crevice in the Wall.

As she reached the wall, the sounds of wailing and prayer filled the air around her, then she heard something else: a sniffle, a whisper, and a soft whimper. A young woman, resting her head on her arm in exhaustion, was pouring her heart out to God. She seemed to be content to remain in the embrace of that stone as if it were the very arms of her Abba.

Why is Israel called “Zion”?

Why did I use that word for a song about God’s promises to Abraham?

Read about my first visit to Israel, and an unlikely encounter on the streets of Jerusalem!