The shepherds said to one another: “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this event which the Lord has made known to us.” Luke 2:10-15
What would you see if you went to Bethlehem for Christmas 2002?
The Christians of the Holy Land are not converts from Judaism or Islam. In fact, many Holy Land Christians are descended from the very shepherds to whom the angels appeared. And today in the Holy Land, the local shepherds would likely never be allowed to reach Bethlehem. The modern day Magi - the pilgrims from outside Palestine - might be allowed special access to the holy sites, but the local Christians remain isolated in their cities and villages by checkpoints, roads designated for Israeli-use only, and curfews enforced by the Israeli military forces.
United Nations and World Bank statistics reveal that half the population of the West Bank and Gaza Strip lives in poverty (defined as less than $2 per day). The devastating effects of this financial milieu are compounded by the fact that Palestinian Christians face the daily threat of personal violence; home demolitions; land confiscation; shortages of food, water, and medical supplies; and strict restrictions on movement.
What would you see if you went to Bethlehem for Christmas 2002?
The Christians of the Holy Land are not converts from Judaism or Islam. In fact, many Holy Land Christians are descended from the very shepherds to whom the angels appeared. And today in the Holy Land, the local shepherds would likely never be allowed to reach Bethlehem. The modern day Magi - the pilgrims from outside Palestine - might be allowed special access to the holy sites, but the local Christians remain isolated in their cities and villages by checkpoints, roads designated for Israeli-use only, and curfews enforced by the Israeli military forces.
United Nations and World Bank statistics reveal that half the population of the West Bank and Gaza Strip lives in poverty (defined as less than $2 per day). The devastating effects of this financial milieu are compounded by the fact that Palestinian Christians face the daily threat of personal violence; home demolitions; land confiscation; shortages of food, water, and medical supplies; and strict restrictions on movement.