What happens when technology merges with religion and culture? A whole new brand of opportunities which enable us to extend beliefs and stay connected even from a distance. This new service I read about allows believers to send wishes using an SMS messages to be posted at the Kotel (the Western Wall) in Jerusalem.
For those of you who have never been there, the Kotel is a fascinating religious relic, in close proximity to the Church of the Holy Scepulture (where Jesus is believed to have been buried) and the Dome of the Rock (where the prophet Allah ascended to the heavens). The Western Wall derives its holiness due to its proximity to the sacred Holy of Holies on the Temple Mount, which is the Most Holy Place in Judaism. This makes the Western Wall the holiest location in Judaism that is currently generally accessible to the Jewish people for prayer. The Kotel itself is dotted with hundreds of tiny paper notes, each holding a person’s wish. It is believed that god When in the area of the Kotel, the experience can get intense. People touch the rocks and weep. It is amazing to see the strength of hope that people carry, while touching these ancient rocks.
Last year I explored a virtual extension of this experience using interactive media and physical computing in my project: Kotel. I was interested by the fact that thekotel.org offers live webcams available freely online, where anyone could see the Wall and the prayer chambers at any time of the week (except during Sabbath).
But I wonder what happens next.
Now it is possible to send an SMS message directly to Jerusalem and for someone to place your wish in one of the cracks in the wall! Here is a quote from an article I found online:
SMS gets emotional and spiritual with a new initiative from Mobile Bridges and Mobile Whispers. SMS2Wall make it possible to deliver personalized messages to the Western Wall in Jerusalem, by SMS.
The new service collects messages, turns them into your own secret and totally anonymous notes and hand delivers them to the wall each Friday. Check out www.sms2wall.com for more info on how to send your message.
Mobile Bridges and Mobile Whispers, aim to “aid people all over the world in their spiritual and emotional needs, regardless of race, nationality or religion.†(source: newideasinmobile)
But what applications should we be expecting next? Perhaps a live webcam from the roof of the world – Mt. Everest? Or maybe a mobile phone app that points towards Mecca whenever prayer time approaches? …
Whatever it is, it will surely be fascinating.