Back Home
This morning the members of Christmas Lutheran Church walked through the rubble of Madbassah Square and through a side door to our sanctuary. It was a cool spring day. It was 40 days since we had seen each other.
“We were last able to gather as a congregation on Easter Sunday morning. On that day, we closed our worship service by singing together ‘Christ the Lord has Risen Today’. Today, 6 weeks later, we begin our service with the same hymn, reminding ourselves that we are people of the Resurrection, believing that life overcomes death.” With these words, the Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb led the congregation of Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem, along with our many guests, into our opening hymn of faith and thanksgiving.
The sanctuary was full on this day after the end of this latest and most brutal Israeli incursion into Bethlehem. As we joined our voices in the Psalter, the words struck us all in a new way, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear…. Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war rise up against me, yet I will be confident.” (Psalm 27:1a, 3)
Rev. Raheb proclaimed in his message, “ ‘Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war rise up against me, yet I will be confident.’ We hear these words and wonder if they belong to someone who takes war and its pain lightly. Don’t these words remind us of statements made by some officials in the Palestinian security apparatus, or speeches made by some political leaders who said, ‘We are ready for any invasion and we will turn our cities into tombs for them.’
Don’t these words sound as if they are coming from a foolish young man, who has no life experience? Don’t they sound as if they are the words of an elderly man, boasting in front of a group of women to prove his masculinity?”
“NO, you author of this psalm, we fear war like we fear its slogans. War is ugly, offensive, and dangerous, very dangerous. We are not happy to hear some young men calling for war on satellite television stations, as if it were a piece of Arabic sweets.” NO, you author of this psalm, we fear war, because those who do not fear do not frighten. War is destructive, undifferentiating between green and dry, or between good and evil. NO, you author of this psalm, we fear war, not because we want to surrender, but out of wisdom, foresight and thoughtfulness. We say, woe to a nation that sees in war a way to establish domination. We say it to all the nations in our region, the Israeli, Palestinian and Arab nations.”
Rev. Raheb went on to say, though, “But, you author of this psalm, you are right in one way. War does not scare us because it will not and cannot separate us from God. “My father and mother forsake me and the Lord will take me up.” Even during wartime we say, ‘God will take us up.’ Have we not felt with the presence of the resurrected God among us, even in the midst of the shelling and curfew? Have we not felt his merciful hand holding us? On the contrary, war has increased our longing for God. It has strengthened our commitment to our Savior. War does not scare us; on the contrary, it has brought us closer to one another and assembled us from all over the world.”
“Indeed, you author of this psalm, war does not scare us, because it cannot steal our dream of freedom from us - the dream of independence and salvation. War cannot steal our vision for the future. We will rebuild the roads that war destroyed. We will replace Bethlehem 2000 with Bethlehem the Future. We will plant new trees in place of the trees that war uprooted. War cannot disrupt our plans. It may delay them for few months, but it will not destroy them. War will not rob us of our vision to live in peace with our neighbors. War does not achieve its goals and for that it does not scare us. We will continue planting and harvesting, building and constructing, teaching and educating, and drawing rainbows in the sky.”
This powerful message brought much needed balm to weary and disquieted souls.
Prayers were lifted in Swedish, German, English and Arabic as we prayed for the church, the world, peace and justice, and for all children traumatized by the march of war. Our prayers lifted the longings and aspirations, the hurts and dreams of all gathered in the sanctuary. They were prayers for Palestinian and Israeli alike.
Bishop Munib Younan brought words of comfort and hope. He lifted up the congregation’s resilience and faith, assuring them they had not been alone in their struggle. He spoke of the prayers and support of many around the world. Turning to our guests that had come in solidarity and love to join the congregation - people from Germany, Sweden, Finland, America, and Israel - he reminded them that their presence was a sign of hope for the future, a sign of our common task of working for peace, justice and reconciliation between all peoples. Turning to three Jewish Israeli visitors who had come to stand with the people on this day, “You came to Bethlehem this morning not with destruction in your hearts but solidarity. You came not as the army who seems to know how to make enemies out of friends, but you came as those who want to turn friends into neighbors. This is a powerful sign of hope for us, that it is possible for us to build together a just peace for all peoples in this land.”
As the congregation came forward to share in the communion of Christ, there were tears in the eyes of many. Some looked tired and drawn. Yet, in the midst of all the pain, the faces also reflected a deep joy in being able to gather at the table of the Lord once again. Truly, this day, the bread and cup were gifts for the body and the soul. Truly, this was a moment of resurrection.
Following our last hymn, everyone gathered on the patio outside the sanctuary, sharing words of comfort, sharing the joy of being together. As one looked over the faces of the people, felt their compassion and concern, heard their words of gratitude for life, family and friends, one could sing,
Love’s redeeming work is done, Alleluia! Fought the fight the battle won, Alleluia! Death in vain forbids him rise, Alleluia! Christ has opened paradise. Alleluia!
Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia! Where, O death, is now thy sting! Alleluia! Once he died our souls to save, Alleluia! Where’s thy victory, boasting grave? Alleluia!
As we moved towards our homes through the battle-torn streets, we could in confidence and in benediction say, “Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21).