Day 2 in Jerusalem

Day 2 in Jerusalem:

As Monday came upon us, I was beginning to feel it. My calf muscles were the most sore. But in spite of my soreness and fatigue, I still felt exhilarated to be where I was. And I knew that this day would truly be special as we traveled to Bethlehem.

Our first stop was to look out over Shepherd's Field. This was a view of the area where the shepherds would have been when the angels came to them to announce the birth of Jesus. Shepherds in Jesus' time worked in what was considered a dishonorable job. They spent much time alone with their flocks and had to work at nights instead of being home with their families. These are the first to come and worship Jesus. How God has changed the image of the shepherd from Old Testament times to today as we think of Jesus as the "Good Shepherd".

After some teaching and many pictures taken, we went on into the city. Bethlehem is in the West Bank and under Palestinian control. There is a wall that has been built up to separate it from Israel. No Israelis can cross by order of the Israeli government. It is said that this is for security reasons, but whenever anyone was asked why, they gave this answer like they didn't totally believe it or agree with it. Some Palestinians can cross if they get the right papers. But it was said that this is like pulling teeth. I guess dealing with government stuff can be a hassle no matter where you live. The wall is not only dividing Israel from Palestine, but Palestinian people from their fields, jobs, health care, etc. You see, Palestinians live on both sides of the wall and own property on both sides. They may have to cross to see their doctors or go to their places of business. It's a shame that in the place where the Prince of Peace was born, there are walls to divide people.

Our next stop in Bethlehem was Hope School. This is a secondary school that The United Methodist Church supports and is an extraordinary place. We arrived and saw the children there happy and playing, some Muslim and others Christian. They teach peacemaking along with there studies there. And these wonderful kids made it seem like all was right with the world when I was around them.

After Hope School, we went to Bethlehem Bible College where Alex Awad shared with us the history of the Jewish/Palestinian struggle. Alex is a Palestinian Christian. He told us that all of Israel was called Palestine until 1948 when the land became known as Israel. The majority of the people were Palestinians and at one time, Palestinian Christians were the majority. But now the Christians have become the minority after the other two major religions there.

About 800,000 Palestinians became refugees in 1948 where they lived in camps for about 10 years. Now Palestinian control exists in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Though the Gaza Strip has been called the biggest prison in the world. Basically, most there can not go past the borders and are stuck there.

Yesterday we had a glimpse of the atrocities that took place to the Jews while visiting the Holocaust Museum. There has been much sadness in this people's history. But in fact, when it comes to them and the Palestinians, probably both sides have made mistakes and are at fault in this conflict. For instance, the suicide bombers and the radical teaching that comes from Hamas in Gaza are just wrong. But when you look at it like it was the only way at one time that they could fight back, it becomes a little more clear why they did it. It's still wrong. But maybe at first it became a defense mechanism (one that has now gotten out of control).

If both sides could just come to the table, most Palestinians and Israelis (I'm told) believe that there could be a peaceful solution. But the radicals like Hamas and the powers that be in Israel have not allowed that to happen. It was asked that we simply pray that our new president can bring both parties to the table and that we be even-handed. Our government has been pro-Israel. They are our ally. That's understandable. The Palestinians aren't asking for us to become Pro-Palestinian, but simply to be even-handed. This actually sounds kind of Christian.

Our day ended with a lot to think about. And, obviously, a lot to eat before turning in.

In the love of Christ,
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