On May 8, Pope Benedict XVI is traveling to the Middle East for a tour of the Holy Land. During his trip, he will visit Jordan - where I am now - Israel and the Palestinian territories. The whole region is gearing up for this trip. Why? Because it represents an important opportunity to promote religious balance and tolerance in the region. Everyone knows we could use more of both in this part of the world.

There is a direct relationship between tolerance and balance. While it is important to hold to our principles, intolerance pushes us to extremes. We lose sight of the humanity in others, and in ourselves. As the Pope has said, "True tolerance always presupposes respect for the other, who was created by God, whose existence was wanted by God."

Clearly, just as we are all children of God, so must we show respect and tolerance for all of God's children. And as we show tolerance of others, so might we begin to show more tolerance of ourselves, and of our own failings. And this, I believe, lies at the heart of life balance.

George Washington Carver sums up this connection, between our own life path and our tolerance of others. "How far you go in life depends on you being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and the strong. Because someday in life you will have been all of these."

In the end, it is a virtuous circle. We tolerate others, they tolerate us and, in so doing, we learn to tolerate and accept ourselves for who we are. It is the beauty of faith balance.

Pope Benedict XVI will visit the Holy Land, En'shallah - which is Arabic for "God willing." Yes, God willing, the Pope will visit the epicenter of three of the world's great religions. Having worked in the Middle East recently, I see this visit from a unique perspective.

The visit, which is planned from May 8 to 15, is the first papal trip to the area since 2000 and only the second official trip by a pope to Israel. And, having been in Jordan and Egypt recently, I see this visit not as a voyage to some far off land, but as a return to a very holy place that is also full of intense conflict.

In some respects, this is a land that is out of balance with itself. A place of great history and potential. A seat of holiness for much of the world. Yet it is divided by internal hatred. An inability to forgive past grievances. An absence of the love and compassion that God has placed in our hearts.

The land may also mirror our own lives when they are out of balance. We have great potential as children of God. But sometimes our own pettiness prevents us from realizing that potential. Our own inability to forgive others, and ourselves, can be an obstacle to life balance. If we stretch this analogy a little farther, the results become clearer.

As with the Holy Land, we must address our inner conflicts head on if we are to find peace. If we listen to God's call to love our neighbors as ourselves, we must first learn to love ourselves. For love - of God and self - is the fulcrum upon which life balance must rest.

So, what will the Pope say during his trip? As the seat of inspiration and culture for the early Jews, Christians and Muslims, the Holy Land is a source of great blessing and turmoil. Much of this is due to misunderstanding between cultures and mutually inflicted suffering throughout the ages. While we cannot change history, we can promote better understanding.

Will the Pope try to heal past wounds? Highlight the shared call for peace and care for the needy that is at the heart of these religions? I wonder what each one of us might say if we could be Pope for a day? If we could stand at the pulpit for thirty minutes, before a crowd of thousands in the Holy Land, and speak from our heart. What would our message be? Would we clarify our unique positions? Emphasize the unity in our love of God? Offer reconciliation of past grievances?

Now let's turn these pronouncements toward ourselves and our relationship with others. If we were to issue a decree about our own state of mind, and of heart, and of soul, what would we say? Is there a need for forgiveness? Is there a need to overlook past differences or conflicts with others? Are we so focused on our own position that we fail to see the wisdom in other people, and their unique perspective? Balance, in many respects, comes from perspective. The Holy Land, it seems, could use more of both. So can we.

We invite you to share your perspective about the Pope's visit and about the challenges of finding balance and reconciliation within our personal landscape.