Middle East Trip #3
The last two days have been quite interesting.
On Saturday, we began our pilgrimage to Bethlehem. The city of our Lord’s birth. We left Jerusalem for Bethlehem on the Hebron Road, an ancient highway from Jerusalem to the city of Hebron. Many have traveled that same way on roads to and from Jerusalem for thousands of years…an amazing feeling to be aware of for me.
Once we arrived in Bethlehem, we were faced with the present day reality of the city, the residents and particularly the Palestinian people, Bethlehem is a city that is completely fenced (walled) in. There is a "security fence" that surrounds the city. No one can come in or out of this ancient city without passing through a security checkpoint. More about this later.
Our first stop was with a remarkable pastor/minister/prophet….The Rev. Mitri Raheb, pastor of the Christmas Church, click on this link http://www.holyland-lutherans.org/bethlehem.htm, for more information. They have an incredible ministry emerging from the great needs of the people of the area. Rev. Raheb is an inspirational leader who’s vision, courage and personal/prophetic witness is an example to us all, an example to the world. Bless you, Rev. Mitre Rehab.
We left there on to our next appointment with staff of YMCA of Beit Sahour, here’s there link http://www.ej-ymca.org/site/Display-Doc.cfm?DocID=33, engaged in wide range of programs assisting people through the region in direct services as well as the regular resources you’d imagine they’d be involved with…quite an impressive operation.
Then it was arranged that we’d be lead for the rest of our time in Bethlehem by local guides, George Rishmawi and Sam (Siraj) who’d lead around Bethlehem to be exposed to the realities of the Palestinian people under the oppressive Israeli occupation, as they referred to it.
We ate lunch in a most traditional Palestinian Muslim way under a big tent overlooking a housing project owed by Greek Orthodox Church here, that’s been scheduled for destruction. I have to say at this point that as we drove through areas of the region of Bethlehem, I could not help but be reminded of neighborhoods back in the United States, neighborhoods that I’ve been most familiar with, "the hood".
We ended up with a visit to The Church of the Nativity, the traditional holy site of the birth place of Jesus.
On Sunday, we were on our own for worship service, and I chose to go to Ethiopian Orthodox Church, on the roof of the Church of the Holy Sepulchur in the Old City. I arrived at the service a few minute before 7 am and for nearly the next two hours participated in a most wonderful worship in Arabic. Being somewhat familiar with Orthodox worship rituals, I was able to follow along with the service. Afterwards, I along with two other colleagues from our group who had joined the services were invited to the monastery of this extraordinary Ethiopian Orthodox monks for breakfast and an informal visit. The leader of the monastic community was the chief presider of the services, was a kind and gracious person and although he spoke little english, we communicated with one another. There was a nun of this community who joined us who did speak english and was able to translate for us. I will not forget this community and the exceptional hospitality that was extended to us by this community of believers.
And finally we spent the afternoon with friends and partners from the Jerusalem Open House, whose work on behalf of LGBT people in Israel has been a inspiration to the world. We were invited to watch a documentary film of the organization. I was personally pleased to met some of the staff and one of the organization’s board member and to hear they story.
We returned to our hotel for some time of debriefing and dinner with several Americans, working here in Jerusalem.
I continue to be in awe of the privilege we’ve been given to be here in the place. The land, the people, the setting is overwhelming, and is somewhat familiar. The places we’ve visited are places I’ve taught about, preached about…and now to be here, seeing, touching, experiencing first hand is just AMAZING. And let me say, I’m equally troubled by the realities that we have been confronted with by the people who live here. The stories of struggle and heartache, pain and difficulty, have been hard to hear for I resonated at a deep level with them.
I am still processing all of this and certainly I’ll have more to say in the coming days, weeks and months to come.
Ashe’,
+JS
