CBC Happenings
CBC Happenings
Saturday, May 13 Jerusalem
It is sabbath here until sundown tonight. The time for the beginning and end of sabbath is printed in the paper and sirens go off to let you know. If you are at the Western Wall and the Jewish Quarter during the sabbath, you are not permitted to take pictures because it is work. In the town, all businesses are closed. Here in the Old City the Muslim and Christian businesses are open.
This morning we went to Bethlehem to the Church of the Nativity and to Shepherds' Field. This is our third trip to Israel, and each time the six mile trip to Bethlehem has gotten harder.
Today, we had arranged for a taxi that seats seven to drive us to Bethlehem and bring us back. We left the hotel, drove the first four miles, then took a sharp right. The driver was trying to avoid the security checks. You have probably heard of the wall that is being built between Isreali and Palestinian territory. We drove around to a small gate that cut through the fence. The security forces were not on duty, so we just drove through. We were then in Palestinian territory.
We could see back across the valley to Israeli territory. The Palestinians have sometimes shot across the valley at the Israelis. The Jewish forces have then come across the valley to punish those who shot, only they are usually gone. The result is that the people of the village have often been caught in the middle. A few years ago it was a majority Christian village, but not now as Christians have moved to other countries to find safety.
On our trip back, the security crossing was manned. We had to get out of our cab, walk next to the security wall, send our bags through security, and show our passports to get back to the Jerusalem side.
You have all see the Church of the Nativity in Manger Square on TV at Christmas. It is actually a Catholic church and an Orthodox church built side by side over the cave that served as a barn. This is still a common practice in this land of limestone cliffs.
Our guide led us around and showed us the stairs into the place of Jesus birth. The Armenians were having a mass in the small room (about 10 feet across and 30 feet long). The guide had us go down in groups of three to see the manger.
I was in the second group. As I got to the bottom of the steps one of the priests motioned at me with his hand to move away. We had been told to stay to the left in the area about 3 feet by 5 feet where the manger is. We moved toward there. He motioned again. We moved further in. The bishop, in the middle of his speech in Armenian, standing in front of the site of the birth, turned and yelled in English, "Leave." Somehow our guide and the bishop were not on the same page.
As I went up, I was assuring the guide that the incident did not bother me -- there is lots of anger and yelling in Israel. When I looked around, one of those with me was sobbing, trying hard to hold back the tears. Another was at the point of tears. Not what we wanted at the place of birth of the Prince of Peace.
Soon we were able to go back down the stairs, touch the star marking the birth place, and go to look at the other parts of the church. We went into a small chapel and sang, "O, Little Town of Bethlehem", written by Phillip Brooks, a pastor from the U.S. after his trip to Bethlehem. We drove back by the Shepherds' Field and sang, "Angels We Have Heard on High". Gloria in excelceis Deo.
Our guide had said to us that he was a Christian. He told us a little about how hard life had been in Bethlehem for Christians. Then he said, "but Christ is in my heart, and I know that he had to suffer, and so, I, too, must sometimes suffer. But please, remember us when you get back home." The tears of a few minutes earlier were replace by a different kind of teared eyes and the strength of a shared faith.
Sometimes in a world of walls and bullets and anger and tears, it is important to remember the message of the angels - "Fear not...a Savior...the babe lying in a manger."
Saturday, May 13 Jerusalem
It is sabbath here until sundown tonight. The time for the beginning and end of sabbath is printed in the paper and sirens go off to let you know. If you are at the Western Wall and the Jewish Quarter during the sabbath, you are not permitted to take pictures because it is work. In the town, all businesses are closed. Here in the Old City the Muslim and Christian businesses are open.
This morning we went to Bethlehem to the Church of the Nativity and to Shepherds' Field. This is our third trip to Israel, and each time the six mile trip to Bethlehem has gotten harder.
Today, we had arranged for a taxi that seats seven to drive us to Bethlehem and bring us back. We left the hotel, drove the first four miles, then took a sharp right. The driver was trying to avoid the security checks. You have probably heard of the wall that is being built between Isreali and Palestinian territory. We drove around to a small gate that cut through the fence. The security forces were not on duty, so we just drove through. We were then in Palestinian territory.
We could see back across the valley to Israeli territory. The Palestinians have sometimes shot across the valley at the Israelis. The Jewish forces have then come across the valley to punish those who shot, only they are usually gone. The result is that the people of the village have often been caught in the middle. A few years ago it was a majority Christian village, but not now as Christians have moved to other countries to find safety.
On our trip back, the security crossing was manned. We had to get out of our cab, walk next to the security wall, send our bags through security, and show our passports to get back to the Jerusalem side.
You have all see the Church of the Nativity in Manger Square on TV at Christmas. It is actually a Catholic church and an Orthodox church built side by side over the cave that served as a barn. This is still a common practice in this land of limestone cliffs.
Our guide led us around and showed us the stairs into the place of Jesus birth. The Armenians were having a mass in the small room (about 10 feet across and 30 feet long). The guide had us go down in groups of three to see the manger.
I was in the second group. As I got to the bottom of the steps one of the priests motioned at me with his hand to move away. We had been told to stay to the left in the area about 3 feet by 5 feet where the manger is. We moved toward there. He motioned again. We moved further in. The bishop, in the middle of his speech in Armenian, standing in front of the site of the birth, turned and yelled in English, "Leave." Somehow our guide and the bishop were not on the same page.
As I went up, I was assuring the guide that the incident did not bother me -- there is lots of anger and yelling in Israel. When I looked around, one of those with me was sobbing, trying hard to hold back the tears. Another was at the point of tears. Not what we wanted at the place of birth of the Prince of Peace.
Soon we were able to go back down the stairs, touch the star marking the birth place, and go to look at the other parts of the church. We went into a small chapel and sang, "O, Little Town of Bethlehem", written by Phillip Brooks, a pastor from the U.S. after his trip to Bethlehem. We drove back by the Shepherds' Field and sang, "Angels We Have Heard on High". Gloria in excelceis Deo.
Our guide had said to us that he was a Christian. He told us a little about how hard life had been in Bethlehem for Christians. Then he said, "but Christ is in my heart, and I know that he had to suffer, and so, I, too, must sometimes suffer. But please, remember us when you get back home." The tears of a few minutes earlier were replace by a different kind of teared eyes and the strength of a shared faith.
Sometimes in a world of walls and bullets and anger and tears, it is important to remember the message of the angels - "Fear not...a Savior...the babe lying in a manger."
posted by John Morgan | 11:28 AM
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