“O Little Town of Bethlehem :”
I grew up going to Sunday school
and worship in a small Presbyterian Church. Every Advent and Christmas Eve we
sang this classic hymn; I can instantly bring up its tune in my mind. I cherish
the memory I have, as a young boy, helping my Mom carefully unwrap her ceramic
manger scene and setting it up. I have this idyllic, romantic image of Bethlehem . My imagination
created a Christmas story that was soft and innocent with a beautiful Mary, an
honest Joseph, a delicate but divine baby Jesus along with prayerful, reverent
shepherds and majestic wise men. Somewhere deep in my heart I wish I could have
that image back again.
My innocent imagination of the
little town of Bethlehem is now forever
shattered by the truth of what Bethlehem
is today. The Presbyterian Peacemaking Program study tour on which I
participated did not do the typical, fly-by tourist visit to Bethlehem . Most tours quickly visit the
Church of the Nativity and Manger Square
to buy an olive wood manger scene and then quickly escape back to the security
of Israel .
We did those things, but we also went deep into the bleeding heart of Bethlehem , Palestine .
This real Bethlehem has shaken me, tossed all my
preconceptions around a bit, and immersed me deeply in the history, ambiguity
and the pain of the Israel / Palestine conflict. This
is our Holy Land ; it is a profoundly
conflicted place.
The Evangelical Lutheran
Christmas Church Christmas Church along the main street of Bethlehem . Our team walked back and forth
from our Manger Square Hotel to Christmas
Church several times; it is a
delightful walk overflowing with all the colors and flavors of Palestine today. I
wandered up and down this way alone during some free time on a sunny,
Sunday afternoon checking out the shops, the vendors and people watching. But I
wonder how many tourists would never consider, and how Americans are afraid, to
make this walk because of our perceptions and stereotypes about the
Palestinians who live there?
I will make a strong statement: To
be a Presbyterian today and to try in any, significant way to contribute to our
church’s work in mission and peacemaking you must be educated about the work of
Lutheran Christmas
Church in Bethlehem ,
Palestine . You
can start by reading the recent book by the senior pastor: The Rev. Dr. Mitri
Rahab, Faith in the Face of Empire: The
Bible Through Palestinian Eyes or, at least, learning about him at his
website.
"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem" Psalm 122: 6.
