Leaving Bethlehem

March 2, 2011

After Obed left on his tour and before leaving Bethlehem I decided to walk towards the separation barrier on my way up to the checkpoint.  It was memorable to walk past the Bethlehem Inn and reflect on the times I stayed there.  Since the Bethlehem Inn is located right across the street from the separation barrier, it was easy to walk along the barrier.  The barrier is ugly and imposing consisting of gray concrete slab.  It is a blatant way to force separation and this has caused enormous suffering in every area of life.  The artwork all along the barrier is a beautiful expression of the anguish of the Palestinian people.  A book that contains many such pictures and explains this art is:  "Against the Wall:  The Art of Resistance" by William Parry.

 

The following cartoon figure is named Handala.  It was created by an artist Naji al Ali who was assasinated in London in 1987.  This cartoon figure is a refugee child of ten and represents "bitterness".  If you would like to read about the history of this cartoon you may find it at the following web site:  http://www.najialali.com/

I stopped to have a bite to eat at a tiny café directly across the street from the Barrier.  As it turned out the owner is also a contact for the EA team in Bethlehem.  He shared with me his story about how the occupation has affected and continues to affect his family.  He said:  “the Occupation has been very hard on us and we continue to struggle because of it.”

I checked into the Lutheran World Federation guesthouse located on the grounds of the Augusta Victoria Hospital.  This is also where my spouse, Obed, will stay during his time in Jerusalem while I am finishing up with EAPPI.    

Upon checking into my room at the guesthouse I noticed beautiful hand- tied quilts on both of the twin beds.  This brought back a flood of memories of all the quilts I’ve seen made by people I have known. 

It’s nice to know that quilts made with loving hands all these years and sent to Lutheran World Relief are being used here.  Some may have been made by my dear cousin, Mimmie, who lived to be 102.  She sewed those quilts for her church in Webster, SD until she was 100 years old.  The quilts are a reminder of the work we do together. 

 I explored the facility and walked up to the Mount of Olives.  It was a beautiful day with evidence of spring bursting forth in this area and throughout the West Bank of Palestine.

Susanne