December 23, 2008
The little town of Bethlehem famously characterized in the renowned Christmas carol captured millions of hearts with its tranquil imagery of Christ’s birthplace. But the Bethlehem that I visited last Christmastime evoked a somewhat different sentiment.
Last December I found myself visiting Christians on both sides of the conflict in the Middle East. I traveled across Israel, visiting Golgotha and the Garden Tomb, the Damascus Gate, the Dome of the Rock, and Netanya’s rocky coast overlooking the Mediterranean. Reaching Bethlehem, I witnessed the city’s tranquil outer layer – beautiful historical landmarks such as the Church of the Nativity and the Shepherd’s Fields – and an equally striking inner layer of turmoil and pain.
Going beyond the tourist sites, I found what I perceived to be the real story of today’s little town of Bethlehem – that of the men and women who are walking in the steps of Christ today, regardless of which side of the conflict they find themselves on.
The Last of the Christians
The drive from Jerusalem to Bethlehem is a winding one, through craggy hills covered in rocks. The road snakes through deep ravines, past tiny patches of civilization, and random buildings constructed and abandoned during the years of conflict. The sun shines across stone fields, revealing an uncannily beautiful landscape.
My first stop in Bethlehem is Bethlehem Bible College, a well-respected Bible College providing an opportunity for students from a myriad of backgrounds to gain a quality education. I mingle with the students and explore the classrooms. A narrow door opens onto the roof of Bethlehem Bible College, where I look out over hundreds of whitewashed buildings dotting the hillside.
I hear the Muslim call to prayer being broadcast over dozens of loudspeakers at the pinnacle of dozens of mosques. And slowly I begin to catch a glimpse of the day-to-day challenges that Palestinian Christians must feel.
The Muslim presence permeates this land. The Institute for Middle East Understanding estimates that about 93% of Palestinians are Muslims, leaving an estimated 6% who are Christians. In the Occupied Territories, however, it is estimated that Palestinian Christians comprise perhaps less than 3% of the population. Islamic neighborhoods abound, and extremism is ever present.
It must be hard, I begin to think, when your national identity is so closely intertwined with a particular religious affiliation. The Palestinian Christians I speak with feel misunderstood. They are the last of the dwindling minority of Christians on the West Bank. They are not Muslims, but they are Palestinian. They do not support the extremist attacks, but they often feel that they are treated unjustly by the Israeli army. And for many Palestinian believers, the wall around their city feels like a prison.
Both Sides of the Wall
Persecution watchdog Open Doors remains committed to reaching believers on both sides of that wall. I spoke with Dr. Carl Moeller, president of Open Doors USA, about his perspective on helping Christians on both sides of the conflict.
“We’re committed to strengthening Christian believers all over the world,” he told me, “Not only working with Palestinian Christians who are being persecuted – in this case, not only religiously but culturally, sensing pressure from both the Israeli army and the Islamic militants, but also the entire Christian community. Not only does Open Doors support Palestinian Christians, but also Messianic believers.”
Carl points to the rise in persecution of Messianic churches by Orthodox Christians, and notes that Open Doors sees its role as “providing resources and encouragement” to all believers in the area. The Christian community overall, he says, “just wants to live in peace and promote peace.”
When I first arrived at the Palestinian Bible Society on the West Bank, I couldn’t help but notice the posters depicting Palestinian martyr Rami Ayyad, displayed on the doors and windows of the building. It is a reminder of the brutal Gaza strip murder that rocked the Palestinian Christian community less than a year before, when armed militants bundled bookstore owner Rami Ayyad into the back of a car and shot him to death. The act sparked fear and anguish in the Christian community, leaving believers to wonder about their future in this land.
“Joy and Agony”
For Grace Zoughbi , a native of Bethlehem who attends Bethlehem Bible College, the tension between her cultural and religious identity surfaces daily. I asked her to share her perspective of life in the town of Christ’s birth this Christmas. Here is what she wrote.
I am a twenty-one-year-old Arab, Palestinian Christian young lady. My story began in Bethlehem and continues to grow and flourish in this land, the land of the Bible where everything once began. What a joy to live in the little town of Bethlehem, and what an agony at the same time!
Being a true Bethlehem native is such an honor but also a challenge: the tiny Palestinian Christian minority is asking God for the strength to continue love and pray for those who are around them and those who are against them. Especially as this Christmas season is approaching, we’re anticipating that the Prince of Peace Himself will dwell again with a new and refreshed incarnation, that would be more than enough to make up for what we’re going through from lack of freedom, restricted movements, high unemployment rate, difficult economical situations and a massively huge wall looping around our city…
However, I remain eternally thankful that God has chosen me and my family to live and serve in Bethlehem, trying to reach out with the ultimate message of salvation, deliverance, joy and faith, believing to conquer every obstacle, in doing so remembering that he who is in us is stronger than him who is in the world..
Their Greatest Need this Christmas
Moeller says that the greatest need for Palestinian Christians this Christmas season is prayer. “Prayer is the most essential thing we can do,” he says. “Just to become aware of their situation is vital.”
But he encourages Christians to take other steps as well. “The ability for us as Westerners to go there, to go to Bethlehem, and support the Christian businesses and the Christian work that is going on there, to get involved with ministries there, is vital.
Moeller also encouraged Western Christians raise awareness for those who face violations of their religious freedom in the West Bank. “Their plight needs to be remembered. It is marked by a decreasing population. Calling on authorities to protect and preserve the Christian community is essential.”
Grace, too, asked to be remembered in prayer.
“What we need is for the body of Christ to remember us, to know of us, to visit and fellowship with us,” she writes, “to come and see the real story and witness what is really happening, but above all to pray for us. Don’t forget the Palestinian Christians… We’re here and we exist.”
Kristin Butler traveled to Israel/Palestine last December, meeting with Christians on both sides of the conflict. She is a contributing writer at Crosswalk.com and covers religious freedom and human rights issues at BreakPoint.org. Kristin can be reached at [email protected].
