And There Were Shepherds in the Nearby Fields...

the grotto in Bethlehem, traditionally regarded as the place where Christ was born

Where can I possibly start on a day like this in Jerusalem? We just got done visiting the grotto where strong tradition suggests that our Lord was born. It is a bit complicated to get inside the grotto as there are many pilgrims trying to get in at the same time and we had a group of Greek Orthodox in front of us who made sure they took their time. My heart was saddened as I once again observed the power of icons, of holy sites, of relics. These places have created complications for all major religions and splinter groups present here as they each try to claim ownership to a piece of the major holy sites. What a shame to the Name of our Lord
shepherds in the fields nearby, this pictures was taken from far away...

In the morning we visited an area where we could clearly see fields where shepherds were actually nearby tending their sheep.

This area most certainly resembles the scene from the night of the Birth of Christ even in our days.

We went inside one of the caves and Pastor Bob recited the text where the Birth of Christ is recounted. It was a beautiful moment that ended with us singing Christmas carols.

We also visited the Herodium, an impressive fort and palace built by Herod, the great, on top of a hill, which he then filled and made it three times as large. There he used to live, receive dignitaries, perhaps even the Magi, and chose to die. His tomb was found there not too long ago. Pastor Bob reminded us of how our Lord, in contrast to Herod, came humbly and gave up some of the privileges of divinity in order to offer Himself up on our behalf. The contrast couldn't be more keenly felt, as we looked down, from the top of the fort toward the Dead Sea and the city of Jerusalem.

We are in Bethlehem now, a place that has been occupied by the Israel government for several years now. The team is shopping at a shop owned by an Edward Tabash, a man I just met, who made a point to walk over to me, ask me if I had sufficient Internet connection and asked someone to bring me coffee. You may find his shop online by going to http://www.bethlehemsouvenir.com/. I also met one of his employees, a man by the name of Elias, like the prophet Elijah, who told me he has five children, the youngest one being only two. He told me that from 2001 to 2003 they closed the shop because of the Intifada and no one could work. He said, "How could someone support his family during that time," which actually extended some into 2004. When I asked him how he managed to survive, he said, "With God's help, my friend, only with God's help."

As you can see, everywhere you look around here people are hospitable and agreeable. Of course I don't know anything about their prices but this place comes with strong recommendation from our guide, Fabricio, as well as from Pastor Bob. I can tell you that judging by the coffee I am now enjoying, strong, bold Arabic coffee, boiled to bring out the rich flavor, I can imagine this place is the real thing.

Some time in the future you all need to take another look at the situation here in this part of the world. I am writing this as I hear Mr. Tabash talking about prayer. He is asking us to pray that the Lord will open the eyes of the leaders on both sides. He said there will be peace only when the Prince of Peace comes. He spoke from His heart and said that he sincerely hopes we will pray for peace because the way it is now is not the way God intends it to be.

As I said, we are in Bethlehem. Most of the people who live here virtually have no rights. They can't leave here. Many of them do not have the right to work. There are secutiry walls around the city. The preoccupation in their eyes is obvious and the amazing thing is that many of these folks are Palestinian Christians. They believe in our Lord. They pray to Jesus Christ and they await His return. I am afraid that if we only hear the news as they are presented to us and listen to the politicians, we will be sadly mistaken. Please pay attention to all sides of this debate and do pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

From here we go back to our hotel and get ready for supper. Thanks for reading the blog and praying for us.

Pastor Ivanildo C. Trindade

itrindade@woostergrace.org