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Advent Prayer - Holy Land

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Published: Sunday 25 December 2011

Advent Prayer - Holy Land

Project(s): 65-420, 65-153

Country: Middle East and North Africa, Israel, Holy Land

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory John 1:14

A church at Shepherds’ Field, Beit Sahour, Bethlehem, which is thought by some to be the place where the shepherds were watching their flocks when the angels appeared to them (Source: Antoine Taveneaux, Wikimedia Commons)

The birth of a baby should always be a cause for joy and celebration as a new life comes into the world. But two thousand years ago there was extra special reason to celebrate as a tiny baby was born who would soon become the Saviour of the world (1 John 4:14).

The Gospels recount the birth of Jesus in humble circumstances. While Mary and Joseph are in Bethlehem, the time comes for her to deliver her child. She wraps the newborn baby in cloths and lays him in a manger because there is no room available for the travellers in the inn. The baby’s first visitors are a group of shepherds, among the most despised people in Israel.

The life of the infant Jesus is threatened when King Herod receives news that another king has been born in Bethlehem. He plans to destroy the child, and Joseph must flee to a neighbouring country with his family to preserve Jesus’ life.

This familiar story resonates today in the experience of Christ’s people in Bethlehem, and throughout the Holy Land. Their homeland has long been racked by wars and uprisings generated by competing claims to the territory, and they are caught in a conflict that is not of their making. In many places they live amidst violence and acute insecurity.

In the 1950s, 90% of Bethlehem’s population were Christian, but today, the Christian population is estimated at only 30%. The economy of Bethlehem is heavily dependent on the tourist trade, but after the second Palestinian intifada (uprising) began in 2000, tourist numbers dropped. Many Christians were employed in the tourist trade and therefore lost their jobs. Tourism has now begun to pick up in Bethlehem, and at present, more Christians have employment than at any time since 2000.

Some of the teachers and children at the Christian school in Bethlehem supported by Barnabas Aid

Despite this, living conditions in the Bethlehem area are not easy, and Christians can also face discrimination and other pressures. Prices are also continuously rising. Barnabas Aid supports a school in Bethlehem that enables children from Christian families to get a Christian education, even if they cannot afford to pay anything towards the fees. The headteacher at the school says that remembering Bethlehem is where Jesus lived is what makes them strong and determined to stay in the area. The school has an outstanding reputation for its teaching and continues to grow.

Christmas in Christ’s birthplace has special significance for Christians all over the world. This small but extremely important town is ablaze with flags and decorations at Christmas time each year. The usual Western customs such as singing carols, exchanging gifts and visiting family and friends are observed in Bethlehem, and Christmas celebrations involve multiple church services and processions through Manger Square.

On Christmas Eve, thousands of residents and visiting pilgrims gather on the steps of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem to watch the dramatic annual procession, which is led by galloping horsemen and mounted police, followed by a solitary horseman riding a coal-black steed and carrying a cross. Many onlookers also go into the fields where the shepherds first heard the angels’ message of Jesus’ birth. Families dine on turkey spiced with pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg and stuffed with rice, meat, pine nuts and almonds.

Despite the many challenges of life in a nation beset by political instability, economic distress and physical peril, the churches of the Holy Land can still find joy in celebrating the birth of the Prince of Peace.

At this special time of year, please pray that peace and justice will be established in the and that hatred and violence will cease. Remember especially the Christian minority, and thank the Lord that more Christians in Bethlehem now have employment. Pray for protection and faithfulness for them in their unstable surroundings. Give thanks for the outstanding reputation of the Christian school that Barnabas Aid supports in Bethlehem, and pray for God’s blessing on its continued growth. Ask the Lord to give the Christian community patience in their trials and joy as they celebrate His birth.