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| Christmas Lutheran Church of Bethlehem, Palestine |
“But you, O
Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah from you shall
come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old,
from ancient days.” (Micah 5:2)
Some years ago, I was
visiting my sister who lived in Washington state. My stepdaughter, Sandra, who
was living in Seatle at the time, was kind enough to put me up while I was in
town. She even treated me to dinner at a really cool Seatle-style sea food
restaurant where they dump piles of shellfish on a sheet of butcher paper right
on your table and you get to crack the shells with a wooden mallet. We talked
about a lot of things that night, but I remember telling Sandra the very worst
thing that could ever happen to me would be if something happened to her. If
she were to die before her time, I would never know how to comfort her mother.
That grief would be overwhelming. Our children are supposed to bury us, but
we’re never supposed to bury them.
The gospel lesson in the
Revised Common Lectionary for Advent 4, Year C (Luke 1:39-45) has both the exquisite
delight of motherhood and the specter of losing a child. It’s this
incongruously celebratory family reunion between two ladies both rejoicing in
their pregnancies. Here are Mary and Elizabeth sharing that mystical secret of
carrying human life within their bodies. Neither of these women should be
pregnant. Mary is a thirteen or fourteen-year-old unmarried child. Elizabeth
has been thought infertile, possibly post-menopausal, and probably cursed by
God. But the real incongruity comes from our knowledge of how this story will
play out. The love and rejoicing which abounds in this meeting is under the
shivering shadow of the fate we know the baby boys of these mothers will
suffer. John will be beheaded. Jesus will be crucified. Both mothers will lose
their children to violence.
Last week we heard again
the news of yet another school shooting, this time a girl, no older than our
Virgin Mother might’ve been, took the lives of two people and wounded six
others in a Christian school in Madison, Wisconsin before taking her own life.
I have to wonder about the mothers and fathers of those who were killed and
injured—as well as the parents of the shooter herself. Again, we see the
juxtaposition of a season of joy, family, and togetherness with devastating tragedy.
Where is the “peace on earth and good will” we’ve been promised?
I try to take comfort
from our gospel lesson. These two mothers are rejoicing because, even in a
violent and oppressive world, God is still active. God has come to a woman
thought cursed and to a powerless peasant girl and told them they matter.
They will be part of healing this sinful, confused, and insane planet.
The prophet Micah
predicted this in our First Lesson (Micah 5:2-5a). Out of tiny, insignificant
Bethlehem would come the ruler who would restore Israel and be the bringer of
peace. Micah would make an excellent Lutheran because his book of prophecy
follows a pattern of Law and Gospel, the schema Luther used for preaching God’s
Word. First, the Law of God brings us to contrition, and then the Gospel of
Christ reminds us we are still loved and valued and capable of changing and
knowing the fullness of the joy God desires for us.
If it’s been a while since
you’ve read the prophet Micah, let me remind you of his back story. This
prophet comes on the scene around 700 BC, just s the Assyrians are threatening
both the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah. They
gobble up Israel but are just barely defeated before they can capture Jerusalem. Micah
excoriates the leadership of both kingdoms for their neglect of the poor, their
corruption, and their rapacious greed which he sees as bringing about God’s
wrath. But, after each passage of condemnation, the prophet reminds God’s
people of God’s infinite mercy. A Savior will come from the little town of
Bethlehem.
I take a small amount of
comfort in knowing the crucified Messiah is still alive and well in the little
town of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank of Palestine. The website of the
Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church proclaims hope in the midst of conflict:
There are about
45,000 Palestinian Christians today who live in the West Bank, including East
Jerusalem, and Gaza, making about 1.5% of the population. The Palestinian
Christian community continues to decline in numbers, mainly due to the
political challenges and the reality of the Occupation. Today, Bethlehem is
almost entirely besieged by the Separation Wall and the Israeli settlements,
which affect all aspects of life.
Despite the
challenges, we are steadfast in the land, building our hope on the Risen
Christ. We pray to continue the Lutheran heritage in this land by serving our
neighbors and community, through our different Lutheran ministries. At
Christmas Lutheran, our vision is “to continue Christ’s ministry of preaching,
teaching, and healing in His birth place.”[i]
Our faith teaches us to
hope—to believe God is still active even when our lives and our worlds seem hopeless.
If there is any possibility for peace between Israel and Palestine it will not
come from terrorist organizations like Hamas or Hezbollah. It will not come
from Netanyahu and the Israeli government. It certainly won’t come from Donald
Trump or his equally unqualified son-in-law.
But it can come from Jesus
Christ. Only Jesus teaches us love of enemies, forgiveness, and inclusivity. I
like to believe that Pastor Muther Isaac and his congregation at Christmas
Lutheran of Bethlehem, by mentoring youth, providing for the poor, and making
Christ known, are inching that volatile region just a little bit further from
violence and hatred every day, and, perhaps, saving some other mother the grief of losing her child. Out of little Bethlehem a light is shining to
illuminate a darkened world.
As we celebrate this
season of Our Lord’s coming, we’d be remiss if we didn’t consider those who are
grieving, addicted, depressed, or living under the terrors of war, gun
violence, and political oppression. Let’s embrace hope, and pray for the coming
of the Kingdom when there truly will be peace on earth and goodwill among all
people.
PS – I urge you to read
Pastor Isaac’s open letter. “Christ Under the Rubble.” All Americans should try
to learn and understand the point of view of our brothers and sisters in
Palestine. You can read the article here: https://christmaslutheran.org/?page_id=141
[i] Learn
more about this Lutheran ministry by clicking here: https://christmaslutheran.org/?page_id=222
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