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12/04/2003 Entry: "0 little town of Bethlehem"

0 little town of BethlehemI thought this was worth sharing. Several weeks ago Brian Jolly led a small group including 4 ministers on a visit to Palestine and Israel. Their programme included time in Bethlehem.

Brian writes:

When we sing or read about the little town of Bethlehem this Christmas time, let us spare more than a passing thought for the people who live there today.

Entering and leaving Bethlehem is not a pleasant experience for anyone. On the outskirts of the town, several miles to the south of Jerusalem, are the Bethlehem checkpoint and the beginning of the fence surrounding the town. To enter Bethlehem we had to leave our taxis before the checkpoint. Israeli soldiers, machine guns at the ready, eyed us from vantage points as we approached the barriers on foot. Vast coils of razor-wire stretched out before us in various directions. The soldiers at the barrier uttered a meaningless 'Shalom' as we reached them, demanded our passports and examined us closely with suspicion. After a while passports were returned and, with an equally meaningless 'Have a nice day', we were pointed along the road. Razor-wire coiled high on either side, we walked to the rough ground serving as a stand for a few taxis whose drivers were eagerly awaiting scarce visitors wanting to venture into the town where Jesus was born, -the town where today the Palestinian population is held captive by the Israeli army. The economy of Bethlehem is dependent upon visitors, not least pilgrims and tourists. A few years ago Manger Square was a large, congested coach park, inadequate to accommodate the steady flow of buses bringing people to the Church of the Nativity. Then it often seemed as if the town was full to bursting point, and languages from across the world could be heard as visitors explored the churches, markets and specialist olive-wood carving factories and shops. Now the scene bears no comparison. There are no buses, no pilgrims or tourists today. Manger Square, transformed into an attractive plaza for the Bethlehem 2000 celebrations, was literally empty of people as we walked from one side to the other. International visitors are few and far between, which is not surprising, for how many people will go out of their way to enter a prison-town?

0 little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie!

And so the people of this little town have been fenced in and their economy has been crushed - in what must be an attempt to destroy the spirit of the people. The blatant, extreme injustice of collective punishment is heaped upon the people of Bethlehem (and other Palestinian towns and villages throughout the West Bank and Gaza) - they pay the price set by the Israeli government for the crimes of the suicide bombers; meanwhile the terror activities of the Israeli government and army go unchecked and they continue to confiscate land and property. But despite such harsh oppression the spirit of the Palestinian Christian people we met in Bethlehem has not been destroyed. They greeted us warmly, offered us generous hospitality and shared some of their stories. And In many, many ways they expressed their faith In God and the future - deep, enduring, faith which was stunningly challenging - faith which had nothing superficial about it because it had been successfully developed and tested in extreme conditions.

yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light;

We paid a visit to a friend of mine - a Roman Catholic whose family business over many generations was in olive wood and mother-of-pearl carving. During the siege of Bethlehem last year his shop and factory had been occupied by Israeli soldiers who converted the roof into a turret for machine guns aimed at the Church of the Nativity. In spite of the razor-wire fence imprisoning them and keeping pilgrims and tourists out, this family continues toproduce high quality souvenirs of Bethlehem In olive wood and mother of pearl - such is their faith in God and the future. As we stood on the roof overlooking the church coverlng the birth-place of Jesus, with the razor-wire coiling through the shepherd's fields in the distance, they talked and laughed with us, urged us to tell their story back home, told us in no uncertain terms how much our brief visit meant to them, and begged us to return soon and to bring other friends with us.

The hopes and fears of all the yearsAre met in thee tonight

And we met Palestinian artists working with glass and stone - shattered fragments of window glass and floor tiles collected from the streets and homes, markets, school, hospltals and churches of Bethlehem following the siege of the town in 2002 and whenever now the Israeli army makes its presence felt. From these remains of broken-ness, humiliation and death arise beautifully crafted pieces art created by lives of faith and hope. By their quiet work these artists declare that each time it is crushed the spirit of the Palestinian people of Bethlehem will be restored and they claim the gift of the kingdom of God.

How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given

A Palestinian priest from' the Lutheran Christmas Church introduced us to some amazing, creative work being developed by the churches for the whole Bethlehem community. Here in the middle of the town The International Center of Bethlehem - dar Annadwa Addawliyya, which in Arabic means the 'House of World-Wide Encounter' - is being developed ecumenically, and is committed to equipping the local community to assume a proactive role in shaping the future, with an emphasis on children, youth and women. The resources available will include a cultural & conference centre for the use of local groups and international visitors, an arts and crafts centre to promote and market goods across the world, media and communications facilities to enable the people of Bethlehem to communicate with the rest of the world, and a health and wellness centre to enrich the lives of the people of the town; together with two vital educational establishments - a school serving children from 4-18 years, and a small community college offering higher education in music, arts & crafts, media communication cultural management, tourism and Christian ministry. Through this pioneering work the church is seeking to empower the people of Bethlehem, develop their resources, cultivate their talents, and facilitate international encounter, and so to promote the building of Palestinian civil society - to enable the people of Bethlehem to enjoy the fullness of life God wills for all people.

So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of his heaven:. . . where meek souls will receive him, still the dear Christ enters in.

As we made our way through the deserted streets of Bethlehem back to the checkpoint and the road to Jerusalem, we saw buildings and roads damaged by shells from Israeli tanks, premises occupied by the army to provide gun-positions and lookouts, land confiscated by the army, olive trees up-rooted. It was an uncomfortable journey because we knew that, difficult as it might be for us to pass through the checkpoint on our way to Jerusalem, we would be allowed out of Bethlehem - but all those we had met, Including our friend from the olive wood factory who insisted on transporting us to the checkpoint to save the cost of a taxi, were prisoners in this little town, unable to go beyond the razor-wire fence which enclosed them.

Our British passports allowed us an exit from Bethlehem - the process for getting out was much the same as for getting in. Looking back through the razor wire fence we were able to say that God had been with us through the people we had met there. And we knew that we had a responsibility to share with others the tragic news of today's people of Bethlehem and the glad tidings of Immanuel (God present) in the midst of harsh oppression.

Posted by Mike @ 12/07/2003 05:13 PM CST