Life stronger than death

By Faten Anastas-Mitwasi

Following the Pieta, the Resurrection takes place. After Death, life begins; the seed grows.

This is how the simple daily life goes in Bethlehem.
On Good Friday, the Israeli tanks surrounded Bethlehem and crawled into its streets and neighborhoods. On Holy Sunday, the whole world was celebrating Blessed Easter, while the citizens of Bethlehem were just starting the Great Lent period.
However, after 40 days of real temptations and brutal suffering, it came true, Jesus was resurrected, and now we are celebrating the genuine Resurrection.
Since the withdrawal of the Israeli tanks, every citizen is working hard to revive his “normal old” life, which was disrupted completely for 40 days. Children are going to schools trying to remember their basic lessons. Students are back to universities seeking to complete their curriculum. Shop owners are fixing the exploded gates of their shops. Some workers are repairing telephone lines; others are reinstalling electricity cables and so on. The municipality employees are restoring the renovated-destroyed Old Town of Bethlehem 2000. Every single citizen is cleaning the streets, taking away the broken stones, the piles of dust, the fragments of the shelling, remains of exploded iron, bullets, etc…

The International Center of Bethlehem, which is located at the city center of Bethlehem, went through the same details as the rest of the Bethlehem Town. It experienced lots of destruction, shelling, bullets and negligence for 40 days. But, nowadays, it is witnessing a unique spirit. All the employees are back in their places, working side by side with several friends and volunteers in order to clean the building, remove the broken glasses and bring back life to the whole compound.
It is amazing how Life is stronger than Death! How Life comes out of Death! Just like the seed grows out of its dark tomb and the child is born out of its tight cover, Jesus was resurrected from the evil Hell and the Palestinians are still burying their dead but also giving birth to new lives.

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