Donald Trump prays for wisdom at Western Wall

Originally published in Christian Today

President Donald Trump prayed to have God’s wisdom as he touched the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem Monday.

“Yesterday, I visited the Western Wall, and marvelled at the monument to God’s presence and man’s perseverance — I was humbled to place my hand upon the wall and to pray in that holy space for wisdom from God,” he said in a speech at the Israel Museum.

Trump is the first American president to visit Judaism’s holiest site while in office. Prior to going the Western Wall, he visited one of Christianity’s most sacred sites, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which some believe is the place where Jesus was crucified. The trip to Jerusalem was the second stop on Trump’s first international trip as president.

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His flight to the Jewish state was also historic in that he flew directly from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, a flight pattern that never happens. In Saudi Arabia, he gave a speech to leaders of over 50 Muslim-majority countries, challenging them to drive terrorists out of their lands.

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The speech struck some theological notes, particularly when he said that Muslim religious leaders must urge their followers to reject barbarism. “If you choose the path of terror, your life will be empty, your life will be brief, and your soul will be condemned,” Trump said.