And they shall live secure,
For now he shall be great to the ends of the earth;
And he will be their peace. (Micah 5.4b-5a)
Security…..we are willing to do some very strange things in the name of security—it’s why we stand in line in our socks for half an hour at the airport, and spend our money on alarm systems for our houses and cars. It’s why we let strangers paw through our backpacks before we can get into the Rockies game.
We think that if we can just eliminate our enemies, we will be secure. It’s why we have thought that it is a good idea to sacrifice 4689 American and allied soldiers in Iraq and 1538 in Afghanistan (http://icasualties.org/), deeming this sacrifice necessary for our security.
That’s how we think in America, because we have power. We are not “one of the little clans.” We are the big guys……with the big guns.
But the people who live in the “Little Town” in Ephrathah today, don’t have any big guns—Palestinians have no army, no tanks. So they have to find other ways to be secure. They are building their security by making their town a safe place to live, by giving their young people a future of hope. Instead of taking up arms, the young people of Bethlehem can learn to use a camera to document their lives, to tell their stories to the rest of the world. Dar al-Kalima College offers classes in documentary filmmaking and communication. Instead of throwing rocks at the Israeli soldiers who charge into Bethlehem in their tanks, the children of the Deheisheh Refugee Camp in Bethlehem can take classes after school in the Bright Stars of Bethlehem program, taking swim lessons or music and art lessons, play on a soccer team or paint a picture. Photo: Bright Stars Christmas program, 2008
While Israel builds its security with a 24-foot high wall and guards armed with automatic weapons, the people of Bethlehem, walled in by this barrier, are building security with after-school activities for the children and youth of Bethlehem—Christian and Muslim. In a region we see as divided over religion, they are building bridges of understanding and peace, starting with the children.
You can support their work by reading more about their work and contributing to these programs: http://www.brightstarsbethlehem.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2&Itemid=4
This Saturday, December 19, you can worship with these remarkable Christians in their church in Bethlehem, via a simulcast. A special prayer service joining Christians living in Bethlehem, Palestine—the place of Jesus' birth—and Christians in Washington, D.C., will be offered in a live simulcast service at Bethany Lutheran Church, 4500 East Hampden Avenue at 8:00 a.m.
This service brings together Christians from the Middle East and the United States for a unique opportunity to share the true mean of Christmas, the gift of God's love given to all the world through Jesus Christ. The service will be broadcast from the Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem, Palestine, where the Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb is Pastor, as well as from the Bethlehem Chapel at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.
Loving God, you have formed us and we are yours. You do not forget us, even when we are among the “little ones.” We rejoice in this Advent season as we prepare to receive you once again, the one of peace in a world in need of peace. Help us to be faithful followers of your way of peace, trusting in the security only you provide. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment