Remembering Bethlehem

Due to the 8 hour time difference between where I live in South Dakota and Palestine, this time of day in South Dakota is already Christmas Day in Palestine.  The memories of last year are still vivid in my mind.  When asked by Paulene (director of EAPPI)  “Who would like to go to Bethlehem for Christmas?”  I immediately raised my hand and was enthusiastically joined by all of my EA teammates placed in Tulkarm.   The familiar Christian story of Christmas came flooding back as we rode the bus to Bethlehem.  Can it really be true that I would be able to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Bethlehem?

While singing “Silent Night” in each of our own languages at Christmas Lutheran Church I had a sense of unification and hope for the future.  When Bishop Munib Younan gave the sermon I was filled with admiration for the man who preached so lovingly about a future without barriers.

Now a year later the pathway to the end of the Occupation of Palestine is still fraught with countless obstacles.  Julie Rowe states it well in verses she wrote to the carol “O Little Town of Bethlehem.”

From the little town of Bethlehem we sing to you tonight;

Our streets are clear, there's no one here, who sees our daily plight;

Once here was born a savior, but now we're all enslaved;

By razor wire and walls and towers, now when will we be saved?

The little town of Bethlehem gets smaller every day;

They take our land, it's all been planned; to make us fade away;

The settlements keep growing, they're bigger every day.

We've not much left from all the theft, so soon they'll have their way.

The little town of Bethlehem is trapped by walls of stone

By razor wire and giant towers we're left here all alone;

Tonight the world sings carols of peace on earth to all

Think of all behind the wall that dwarfs the manger stall.

O Holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray,

Break down our walls and hear our calls, bring just peace here to stay;

Let angels sing together,  their great glad tidings tell:

Live in your land, there's peace at hand, from God Immanuel

Rev.  Julie Rowe   revjbr2003@yahoo.com        ©Julie Rowe

Today I have been listening to the radio most of the day.  It has been a day full of beautiful music some of which has been broadcast from England and other places. 

Last Saturday morning there was a simulcast from the Washington Cathedral in Washington, DC and Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem.  If you would like to watch a video of this service held on December 17, 2011 please click on this url.

http://www.nationalcathedral.org/exec/cathedral/mediaPlayer?MediaID=MED-5FQ0V-L80002&EventID=CAL-56N1I-LM0017

All of these wonderful experiences of music has brought me back to last Christmas Eve in Bethlehem.  I remember seeing that awful wall both before and after we worshipped at Christmas  Lutheran. 



Artwork on the barrier wall depicting the destruction
of olive trees and the surrounding of Bethlehem

Here is another website which contains a powerful cartoon depicting the effect of the wall as well as the promise of hope celebrated at Christmas by Palestinians.

http://www.europalestine.com/spip.php?article6754

We just returned from a candlelight Christmas Eve service here in Sioux Falls.  In spite of the pessimism that I often feel about the situation of my Palestinian friends, I left the service renewed in the hope that the occupation can be brought to an end.  We need to keep shining the light on what is happening to our brothers and sisters in Palestine.

Susanne