If Angels Cast Shadows “No city is legitimate if it takes away the dignity of those who live there" Gabriel Marques, Honduran filmmaker. At which point in history does the conflict in Jerusalem and the wider Middle East have its beginnings?   We can go back centuries, millennia even as each successive civilization puts down roots in the land, laying the foundations for claim and counterclaim for generations to come.   In the past I have always looked back to the dawn of recorded history in the Middle East but in fact I actually believe this question to be both unhelpful and inappropriate. Although we need to learn the lessons of history, backwards is not always the best way forwards. Over the centuries there has accumulated too much wrong and too much right on all sides to make any clear cut moral case for, or against any party being in the right or not. Too many "peoples" now have a cultural or ancestral claim on the land. And if making a Divine claim on the land, lack of consideration for others can easily lead us into a "my god is bigger than your god" scenario, which then makes God no more than an agent of human endeavor.   So what is the way forward? There are two key words that govern my attitudes to, and actions within the Middle East whether at home in Scotland or in Jerusalem.   Two words, "compassion" and "coexistence".   To have compassion for someone is to show concern for putting someone else's well-being on a par with my own, probably with some sacrifice on my part. It is a recognition that everyone has the right to basic human dignity. Dignity is a human right and it challenges my willingness to offer it regardless of whether I see it as deserved or not.   Although I may have rights regarding various issues, and I may be perfectly within my rights to exercise them, I hope I will always question whether it is actually the right thing to do (or say) given certain circumstances. Is it a compassionate response? Or is it one that says this is my right and you are going to have to live with its consequences?   Freedom of speech is a powerful tool, but used selfishly can easily become a powerful weapon. Freedom of speech is not absolute; responsibilities are attached to it. With freedom of speech we have been given the tools and the responsibility for seeking to build bridges of mutual respect and understanding therefore negating the need to defend our own position from counter attack.   Which brings me to the second of my two key words. Coexistence.   A few years ago, on a derelict gable end wall in central west Jerusalem I saw a work of graffiti art that said "just forgive". It’s not about “forgive and forget”. It is about not letting what happened affect our day to day dealings with each other and treating the other side with dignity as I’ve already mentioned.   Although it may not be easy or even sensible to forget (lest we repeat our past mistakes), it is possible to forgive. Within a conflict, whether personal, national or global, if one side can find the need, the strength or the necessity to let go of exclusive claims on persecution, recognising that others have suffered too, then this can open the door just a crack to, if not empathy, then at least an understanding of what has happened to the others on the other side of the fence. Recently I saw the gable end wall has now gone and with it the graffiti art. May it’s message survive. Jerusalem/Glasgow 2016