Bethlehem

As small as this town is - so many things have happened in this city. It is here that Ruth, a Moabite, met Boaz and married him. It was here that King David was born and anointed king and of course the birth of the Savior.
We learned that the name Bethlehem means Beth -house and hem- bread
Isn’t that interesting when you remember Christ called himselfthe Bread of Life? (John 6)

Anyway, the church of the Nativity was our first stop here. The church is divided by three religious sects: Roman Catholic, Armenian Orthodox and Greek Orthodox. These three share the plot through complicated agreements in ridiculous animosity. Similar to the church of the holy sepulcher, the church is crammed with things from all religions and has no general flow or feeling. The place of Christ’s birth was actually a cave (not a stable as we market it in our Christmas decorations) Within the cave which is now underneath the church, a 14 pointed star marks the EXACT sport where Christ took his first breath in this mortal world. They have yet another spot marked where baby Christ slept. For a moment I was getting anxious with the crowded area and pushy tourists getting into my personal space and I thought about how Mary must have felt as she entered this city pregnant, hot, and tired and now - crowded because of the taxing and there was no room for her to stay.
When things finally calmed down and we were all gathered in a cave outside the location of Christ’s birth we sang hymns such as “Away in a Manger” and “Silent Night” and I felt at peace.
Later, we went to the field were the angel appeared to the shepherds at the birth of Christ and announced his arrival. It being the 24th, we celebrated Christmas in July. We had dinner in the sunset on the hill overlooking the city of Bethlehem and the fields. As night approached we sang more hymns and “heard” from Mary, Joseph, the Wise Men, the Angels and even the Star through different students called on to share their thoughts. These were intermixed with musical numbers reflecting on the birth of Christ. As the night went on and the sun went down there was one really bright star that came long before the right. It stood right above the city of Bethlehem. I got really emotional as we sat in the dark overlooking the city. I don’t know what made today stronger than others but I continuously feel completely overwhelmed with gratitude for, well, EVERYTHING! I see everything with true gratitude. I feel that I have been able to reflect on my life so far and opportunities ahead of me and I can SEE that the Lord has never abandoned me. He has given me and continues to give opportunities that not everyone gets. Blessed. Grateful, in awe of his mercy.