GAZA CEASEFIRE
PILGRIMAGE
A Via Dolorosa of Solidarity
ASH WEDNESDAY
SNAP ACTION
Come, walk with us
as we kickstart Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimages for Lent 2025
Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimages is not merely about Gaza or ceasefires—but everywhere Palestinians stories, rights, agency and lives are being erased. We know this is not just in Gaza. In recent weeks, we have seen Israeli tanks enter the West Bank for the first time in two decades.
In response to this prompting in our hearts, we are planning an Ash Wednesday Snap Action to kickstart Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimages for Lent 2025. There are snap actions already being planned in Seoul, South Korea, Perth and the Gold Coast in Australia, Orlando in the United States of America, in the North and South Islands of New Zealand, and in Cape Town, South Africa.
Our call to you is the same as it always has been—come, walk with us. Whether by yourself or in a group, we are calling on people to walk 10 kilometres (6.2 miles)—the distance from Bethlehem to Jerusalem. Stopping to pray at the moments where there would be a checkpoint. Many of us will be walking to or from Ash Wednesday services.
Register here for Ash Wednesday’s Snap Action and we will send you more details.
From the Global Organising Committee,
Lisa Sharon Harper,
Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon,
Suzan Wahhab,
Jarrod McKenna,
James Harris
Come, walk with us on Ash Wednesday and throughout Lent 2025.
Full Lent 2025 Launch—March 5th, Ash Wednesday
Why Ash Wednesday?
As an act of nonviolent resistance to Roman occupation, palm fronds were waved during Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, as He parodied the Empire. In some Christian traditions, we keep the palm fronds and palm crosses from the previous Palm Sunday, and burn them into the ashes.
Ash Wednesday provides a moment for us to enter into solidarity with our Palestinian brothers and sisters, whose resistance continues to be met with violence, but knowing that this is not how the story will end.
On Ash Wednesday, we see the palms of that resistance turned to Ash—knowing that Sunday is coming—but not here yet.
In 2024, we walked in over 100 cities, in 20 countries, across every continent.
Full 2025 launch happening Ash Wednesday, March 5th.
Come, walk with us.
“I want you to look in the mirror and ask,
‘Where was I when Gaza was going through a genocide?”
-Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac,
Pastor of Christmas Evangelical Lutheran Church in his Christmas Day sermon, 2023
How it started
The Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage was started by a Kiwi named James Harris who, heartbroken and feeling helpless, was moved to walk the distance of Gaza in prayerful solidarity. His impromptu actions raised over $5,000 for relief organised by Palestinian Christians in Australia. His mustard seed action grew as friends in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and then the USA came on board. In short, we felt the Holy Spirit moving.
With the leadership of Suzan Wahhab, Jarrod McKenna, Lisa Sharon Harper and Mae Elise Cannon, as well as organisations like Palestinian Christians in Australia, Aotearoa Christians for Peace in Palestine, Freedom Road, Palestine Israel Ecumenical Network and Churches for Middle East Peace, we birthed this global movement of solidarity.
On January 14th 2024, on the Mount of Olives where our Lord wept over Jerusalem saying, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace”, the Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage was launched by Palestinian Christians and international Christians standing in solidarity.
In 2024, thousands of Christians, walked in prayerful solidarity, in over 100 cities, in 20 countries, across every continent. In 2025, the injustice continues, so we will too.
Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage
is a network of autonomous Christians groups with shared convictions who are engaging in a prayerful show of solidarity in cities around the world, where people during Lent walk in prayerful solidarity.
God who at Calvary
reveals the meek have begun to
inherit the earth,
anoint us again with your Holy Spirit
that those of us who claim to abide in you
may walk as Jesus walked.
Fit our feet with the gospel of peace
as we labour for healing justice.
Bring your reign
And deliver us from cowardice,
complicity and immobilising despair.
For the sake of your Son,
Our Saviour and Lord
Amen