Bethlehem bummed me out a bit

Bethlehem bummed me out a bit

OK, I admit it.

Frankly, I hesitate to say so, but it’s true. I was a little saddened to behold Bethlehem, once I finally saw it for myself.

All my life, I longed to visit the birthplace of the Savior. A year ago, I signed up and paid my deposit for the long-awaited bucket-list journey to the Holy Land. I counted months, then weeks, then days until departure.

Bethlehem was one of the top spots on my list of must-sees, along with Jerusalem and Galilee.

What happened in Bethlehem?

This ancient city carries rich history and spiritual significance, filled with meaning for believers. The City of David, as well as the city of Jesus’ birth, Bethlehem was part of the hill country of Judah.

There, in the town once known as Bethel, Jacob’s beloved Rachel was buried. (Jacob, of course, fathered the 12 tribes of Israel. Rachel gave birth to Joseph and Benjamin.)

Also, David was crowned king in Bethlehem, the city whose name actually means “House of Bread.”

What an appropriate spot for the birthplace of the King of Kings, the Bread of Life and the Light of the World. To Christians, Bethlehem is one of the most sacred locales in the entire world, as it has been since the birth of the Savior.

What’s Bethlehem like now?

Today, the Palestinian-controlled city of Bethlehem is part of the West Bank. This frequently contested community sits on a hillside overlooking Jerusalem.

Atop the hill is the Church of the Holy Nativity, the traditionally recognized birthplace of Jesus Christ. This church, begun in 327 AD and rebuilt in 565 AD, now houses three different monasteries: Armenian, Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic. Using separate entrances, this trio of organizations practice their devotions according to clearly defined schedules of accessibility to the facility.

Forgive me. I digress.

Before visiting Bethlehem, our group had to drop off our Israeli tour guide in Jerusalem and pass through a Palestinian checkpoint. There, a Palestinian tour guide boarded our bus and took us directly to a local banquet hall. After we bought our lunches, he loaded us onto the bus and led us nearly next door to a souvenir gift shop. The store owner boarded our bus to make his sales pitch before allowing us to disembark and visit the premises, where salespeople nearly outnumbered the members of our group.

Here’s a free tip for travelers.

You can pretty much assume

prices are inflated for tourists

when merchandise in a foreign country

 is marked in American dollars.

Enter through the gift shop.

We browsed politely for a while. A few folks purchased olive wood nativity scenes and Christmas tree ornaments. Some picked up rosary beads for Catholic family members and friends.

Stepping outside the shop, we ran the gauntlet of sidewalk sellers, hawking Pashmina shawls and wooden beads, to re-board our bus. At last, we would see the spot where Baby Jesus came to earth.

The tour bus parked in a multi-tiered garage. Our brusque guide hustled us along a busy thoroughfare, past souvenir shops with names like “Nativity Crib” and “Holy Family Imports.” Crossing the street for the final steps up to the Church of the Holy Nativity, we stopped by a police car with flashing lights and an officer offering wooden nativity sets.

Stand in line, and duck for the door.

We passed under a political banner with a life-sized portrait of Yassir Arafat on the way into the church’s parking lot. There, we waited to enter the church complex through a tiny door.

Inside the building, we queued up to hear our guide asking our pastor-leaders if they really wanted to stay for the expected one-hour wait. (Actually, wait times can often be considerably longer.)

Well, of course we wanted to wait, after traveling halfway around the world to be there.

Finally, we inched up to the curved stone stairs leading down to the sacred spot. With pilgrims pressing us on all sides, we linked arms to keep from falling into the mysterious underground niche.

Once inside the holy grotto, we had but a moment to stoop and view, or even touch, the silver star marking the spot where the Virgin Mary is believed to have birthed the Holy Child. 

We turned and viewed a metal crib-like structure, presumably marking the spot where Mary may have placed the precious God-man newborn  in the manger.

The actual site in Bethlehem was like no nativity scene I have ever seen.

Almost immediately, the crunch of the crowd moved us to a set of exit stairs, which deposited us back on the main level of the church. There, our guide pointed out altars representing various Christian sects and outlined the rules governing their ability to worship the Lord in the sacred site.

And then it was over. We exited just in time to see a Greek wedding party lined up in the street, complete with sobbing flower girl and blushing ring bearer. We stepped back to let them pass. Immediately, our hasty tour guide bade us depart for the bus.

“Quickly, please!” he called, as a few fellow travelers stopped to browse through sidewalk souvenir displays.

As we settled into our seats, a comic scene unfolded. There, in the parking garage, a particularly motivated young man poked his head into the bus to sell wooden King David flutes. One clever guy in our party talked the kid  down to two for a dollar before collecting cash from about a dozen people and grabbing up the musical merchandise with the bus already rolling. There in Bethlehem, another sales star was born.

All told, our sojourn to the Savior’s birthplace took about five hours, including the requisite luncheon and souvenir stops and border checkpoint delays. Our actual turn in the designated holy place, the grotto of the Church of the Holy Nativity, lasted less than five minutes.

I want my childhood Bethlehem back!

Without a doubt, I am grateful that I had the chance to step into the spot where Jesus was likely born. If it wasn’t exactly that site, we can be sure it was someplace very close to it. But I came away from that iconic experience feeling definitely disappointed and somewhat abashed as a Christian.

I have no doubt that the architects, designers, builders and caretakers of the Church of the Holy Nativity poured their hearts and souls into creating a facility that would honor the birthplace of the Son of God. Surely, they sacrificed time and treasure to make such a spot possible.

Still, it felt somehow like one more example of how humanity clutters the basic secrets of Emmanuel, God with us. Despite our best intentions, how often do we make His love more complex than it really is?

Jesus’ arrival on earth was absolutely earthy.

I love the picture of the beautiful infant Christ, sleeping peacefully in a pile of straw, with farm animals peeking in to adore His sweet face.

Maybe it’s because I am a barn girl. I am most at home when my boots are dirty and my animals are happy. But I can’t help feeling that God Himself might agree. I wonder if perhaps God Almighty scratches His head in wonder sometimes, wanting to part the heavens and simply ask, “My precious children! Why have you complicated My truth? It’s so simple!”

The Lord of the Universe could have sent His only Son to be born anywhere on earth. He could have picked a royal princess as His mother. He could have orchestrated His nativity in a castle or a fancy temple.

Instead, He chose a barn in a tiny town. In fact, it was probably more like a dirty cave. He placed His Beloved One in the hands of a teenager, surrounded by smelly livestock.

If that was good enough for my humble Lord, most high and holy, then it’s good enough for me.

Returning home from the Holy Land, I couldn’t wait to march into the stables, stand in the manure-filled hay, hug on my horse’s neck, and thank God for His daily blessings.

Sometimes the holiest moments come in unexpected ways. And sometimes the most anticipated spiritual milestones do not prove as meaningful as everyday touches from the hand of God.

The truth is simple. Oh, how He loves you and me!

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Image/s:

Bethlehem and Nativity Scene photos

copyrighted by Linda Ann Nickerson

 Nickers and Ink

Church of the Holy Nativity 

Altar of the Nativity photo 

Creative Commons Licensing

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January 16th - Esau's Exit

Esau’s Exit

(Genesis 36)

Good going! We have completed half of our first month of readings.

Tribal Delineation Map

By Emanuel Bowen

1748

Today’s reading announces the parting of the ways of Israel (formerly Jacob) and Esau. From this time on, the two brothers and their offspring were at odds.

The rest of the chapter delineates the prolific family line of Esau, which became the Edomites. These people settled primarily in the area south of Israel (see historic tribal map – above).

Family Friction

Jacob and his family looked askance at Esau and his clan, primarily because Esau’s group intermarried with their pagan neighbors. The family line became diluted, as each household grew distracted by devotion to idols and false gods.

Throughout Hebrew history, the Edomites were perceived as an enemy and a threat to Israel.

Have you ever known a family with a seemingly unmendable rift? Family friction may be the most painful conflict of all.

Relatives often know one another more intricately and intimately than other people. We know how to help each other, but we also may carry a deeper understanding of how to cause harm.

As a parent, I often find myself struggling to redirect youngsters, as they engage in their own sibling rivalry.

“You are the best friends either of you is ever going to have,” I say.

“Yeah, right,” I often hear.

It’s true. Friends may disappear in time. Acquaintances may transfer and relocate. But families do not lose their connection. At least, we ought not to.

Although family members may grate on one another’s nerves occasionally, they may also prove to be the most valuable earthly allies, when truly needed.

Just watch brothers or sisters in action. They may nitpick and natter at one another. If an outsider threatens one of them, however, they will spring to attention to defend him or her. It’s in their blood, literally. (Yesterday’s reading demonstrated this instinct quite overtly.)

Seeking Sweet Solution

How might we find ways to mend broken relationships with relatives? Do we have any unfinished business, as modern psychologists tag unresolved conflicts, with members of our own clans?

Will we pass these differences on to our children, or will we seek reconciliation in our own lifetimes?

“How wonderful, how beautiful,

when brothers and sisters get along!

It's like costly anointing oil

flowing down head and beard,

Flowing down Aaron's beard,

flowing down the collar of his priestly robes.

It's like the dew on Mount Hermon

flowing down the slopes of Zion.

Yes, that's where God commands the blessing,

ordains eternal life.”

(Psalm 133:1-3, The Message)

Will you pray with me?

Righteous Lord,

You are the only Holy Judge,

Who tempers justice and mercy.

Your grace trumps our grievances,

And Your wisdom outweighs our worries.

Teach us to trust You with the outcome,

Particularly when we are

Attacked,

Assailed,

Falsely accused,

Insulted,

Or even ignored.

You miss nothing.

May we place the ends in Your holy hands.

For You hold the future.

We praise You.

Amen.

January 15th - Purity or Power?

Purity or Power

(Genesis 34-35)

***

Today's post contains mature subject matter,

although it is not graphically expressed.

***

Simeon and Levi Take Dinah from Shechem

(13th Century French Miniature)

Shechem images (below) courtesy of The Bible Picture Gallery.

Folks can grow fierce, when a family member is attacked. The sons of Israel were no exception to this rule.

Passing through Canaan and approaching Mount Gerazim, the family set up camp. Local Prince Shechem apprehended little sister Dinah and violated her. Her older brothers became enraged.

Prince Shechem, on the other hand, claimed to love young Dinah and sought to marry her. (When this occurred, Dinah had probably reached a marriageable age for the times, such as 15 or 16 years old, according to Wesley’s Notes on the Bible.) Of course, the match would have been a strategic political and economic move for the prince, as the union would have created an alliance with Israel’s ever-growing family.

Feigning agreement, Israel’s sons insisted that all of the men of Shechem be circumcised, just like them. Shechem’s men agree heartily to the uncomfortable procedure, hoping to gain access to the wealth and connections of Israel’s clan.

As we have read, the promise turned out to be a ploy. Two of Israel’s oldest sons, Simeon and Levi, attacked and slaughtered the recuperating men of Shechem. Then their brothers joined them to plunder the city.

Interestingly enough, not one chapter later, Israel’s eldest son Reuben committed a similar sin with his father’s own concubine Bilhah (see Genesis 35:32). Bilhah was the mother of Reuben’s brothers Dan and Naphtali. Reuben slept with Bilhah while his father was grieving the death of his beloved wife Rachel.

Measuring Motives

What motivated the actions of the sons of Israel? Were they zealous for their sister’s honor, hungry for vengeance or merely seeking power in the region?

How often do we attempt to make excuses for our actions by claiming virtuous reasons, rather than measuring our real motives? Do we honestly examine our own hearts, as we set out hurriedly to right real or perceived wrongs?

British poet Alfred Lord Byron expressed this truth so authentically: “We are all selfish, and I no more trust myself than others with a good motive.”

Samuel Taylor Coleridge, another British poet, said it thus: “No one does anything from a single motive.”

Is it even possible for us to carry pure motives, while we live in our human flesh?

“All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,

but the Lord weighs the spirits

(the thoughts and intents of the heart).”

(Proverbs 16:2, Amplified)

Rating Results

What were the results of Israel’s sons’ rash action? Apparently, their father Israel was displeased with their violent and deceitful tactics, claiming they had jeopardized the family’s future safety in Canaan. Israel was undoubtedly hurt by the harm done to his only daughter, Dinah, but he did not agree with his sons’ exploits.

How can we fend off the temptation to overreact, when we are wronged? How difficult it can be to gauge the appropriate response to deliberate or even accidental harm.

“Dear friends, never take revenge.

Leave that to the righteous anger of God.

For the Scriptures say,

‘I will take revenge;

I will pay them back,’

says the Lord.”

(Romans 12:19, KJV)

Certainly, justice is important. Faithful ones have laid down their lives, so that others may enjoy the benefits of living in a just society.

Where can we find the balance between truth and tact, justice and mercy, and law and love?

Will you pray with me?

Righteous Lord,

You are the only Holy Judge,

Who tempers justice and mercy.

Your grace trumps our grievances,

And Your wisdom outweighs our worries.

Teach us to trust You with the outcome,

Particularly when we are

Attacked,

Assailed,

Falsely accused,

Insulted,

Or even ignored.

You miss nothing.

May we place the ends in Your holy hands.

For You hold the future.

We praise You.

Amen.

January 14th - Grappling with God

Grappling with God

(Genesis 31-33)

Jacob Wrestling the Angel

By Paul Gauguin

1888

After sorting out flocks and families, prizes and possessions, Jacob and his clan left Laban’s region to return to Canaan. Along the way, he worried about his anticipated encounter with his estranged twin brother Esau.

Approaching Esau’s land at night, Jacob sent his people and possessions across the stream of Jabbok and remained behind alone. Why would Jacob have done this? Perhaps he intended to pray before completing the journey. Possibly he sought an affirmation or message from the Lord.

Quite likely, Jacob’s experience did not match his expectations, as he spent the entire night wrestling with an unrecognized figure.

Who was it? Did Jacob wrestle with a man? Was it an angel, as many painters and sculptors have surmised?

A close reading of the Bible text explains Jacob’s grappling opponent this way:

“And He said,

‘Your name shall no longer be called Jacob,

but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men,

and have prevailed.’

“Then Jacob asked, saying,

‘Tell me Your name, I pray.’

“And He said,

‘Why is it that you ask about My name?’

And He blessed him there.”

(Genesis 32:28-29, NKJV)

How many of us spend our effort and energy, time and talents, wrestling opponents of all kinds?

What is wrestling?

A variety of dictionaries define wrestling as struggling, contending, vying against, combating, contesting, attempting to overthrow and writhing. The primary prerequisite for wrestling is an opponent of some sort.

We may wrestle with others.

Do we circle the mat, like wary wrestlers, when others encroach upon us somehow? Do we put up our gloves, like brash boxers, when folks come near us?

Certainly, we are called to be bold and strong with the truth. At the same time, however, the Father has called us to love one another.

“For the whole law can be summed up

in this one command:

‘Love your neighbor as yourself,’

but if you are always biting

and devouring one another,

watch out!

Beware of destroying one another.”

(Galatians 5:14-15, NLT)

Simply typing those verses, I find myself wrestling with conviction. Pointing out our need to love one another more consistently feels a lot like preaching to the mirror. Daily, I must seek God’s forgiveness for failing to love someone. Who am I to deem one of His children unworthy of consideration or care?

Thanks be to God for His never-ending mercies and grace. How blessed we are that He sees what we will someday become, when He has completed His work in us (See Philippians 1:6), rather than what we may seem to be today.

We may wrestle with ourselves.

Contending with conflicting or combating thoughts and ideas can be a major time cruncher. How many sleepless nights do we spend, tossing in our beds, while tossing concerns and concepts around in our heads?

King David struggled with the same stress.

“How long must I wrestle with my thoughts

and every day have sorrow in my heart?

How long will my enemy triumph over me?”

(Psalm 13:2, NIV)

We may wrestle with evil.

Although we may not recognize the contestants physically, we certainly can attest to the reality of this battle. Fighting with evil, within and without, is a daily struggle for the believer.

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,

but against the rulers,

against the authorities,

against the powers of this dark world

and against the spiritual forces of evil

in the heavenly realms.”

(Ephesians 6:12, NIV)

Where is the primary battlefield for wrestling with the enemy of our souls? Ask any mature believer, and you will likely hear the same answer. The battle is won or lost in our heads.

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world,

but let God transform you into a new person

by changing the way you think.

Then you will learn to know God’s will for you,

which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

(Romans 12:2, NLT)

We may even wrestle with God.

Alone in the night, Jacob found himself wrestling with an unknown figure. At first, he did not recognize his opponent’s divinity. What happened to Jacob’s clear spiritual insight, as when he viewed God’s own angels climbing and descending the stairway to Heaven?

How quickly may we blame others, the enemy of our souls, or even ourselves for difficulties we may encounter? Perhaps these hard times have been lovingly designed to grow us up and draw us closer to the Father’s own heart.

Is it even possible that we may often perceive the Lord as grappling with us, when He may simply be holding us closely, holding us back from danger or holding us up for our own good? Do we ever confuse the Lord’s firm embrace with opposition?

Jacob mustered up the boldness to confront his contestant. Only then did he realize that he wrestled with the Lord. Jacob refused to let go until the Lord blessed him.

Even if God wrestles with us, will we remain devoted to Him and crave His blessing? Although we may become battered and bruised in the process, will we continue to cling to Him until we receive all He has in store for us?

When we grapple with God, do we seek our own victory, or do we truly seek to become ever closer to Him?

Oswald Chambers puts this so eloquently in his classic devotional work, My Utmost for His Highest:

“Don’t become a cripple by wrestling with the ways of God, but be someone who wrestles before God with the things of this world, because ‘we are more than conquerors through Him . . .’ (Romans 8:37). Wrestling before God makes an impact in His kingdom. If you ask me to pray for you, and I am not complete in Christ, my prayer accomplishes nothing. But if I am complete in Christ, my prayer brings victory all the time.”

Like Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, immediately before His arrest (see Matthew 26 and Mark 14), we may wrestle before the Lord in prayer. Real prayer is never passive. Honest prayer is action, exercise, labor and toil before the Lord.

May the Lord teach and train us to grapple not against Him, but before Him.

Will you pray with me?

Great God,

Our Tender Lord,

Bold Holy Spirit,

And Mighty Father,

How we honor You.

Help us to refrain from resisting

When you wrestle with us.

Instead, may we cling closely

To Your heart

Until Your blessing

Falls upon us.

How we long to live for You

And Your great glory.

Amen.