Jan 11 - Sunday in Bethlehem

Today bishops and spouses attended 5 different Lutheran churches from Bethlehem in the south to Ramallah in the north. Anita and I worshipped at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hope in Ramallah, where Canadian Bishop Susan Johnson preached. We'll be visiting Hope again on Monday to learn about the ministry of their Lutheran school. Once again, we found the Palestinian Christians exceedingly warm and hospital. One woman with her daughter interpreting to Anita wanted us to know that her family had become refugees from Tel Aviv in 1948 as the State of Israel was created and were resettled in Ramallah. Her family has grown through difficult times and the congregation once numbered nearly 1,000 members. At one time Ramallah was nearly 100% Christian but today Christians are about 2% of the 600,000 population. Yet the singing at Hope was vibrant with joy and peace and our luncheon with the Church Council was filled with the sharing of stories and laughter and hope.

For us to travel from Bethlehem to Ramallah, both Palestinian territories, our bus had to travel through 2 checkpoints. While we had no trouble getting through, being Americans in a tourist bus, we did see at least one car stopped and people in a heated exchange over some issue. A Palestinian needs an Israeli permit to enter Jerusalem, and a woman in the congregation said, though she lives within a few miles of Jerusalem, she is not able to go into the city. Another woman has not seen her sister living in San Francisco in 30 years because she is unable to get a visa. A young man spoke with me about his inability to get a visa. He would like to immigrate to the United States, but this skilled young man also was unable to get a visa. The issue at the center of this conflict is the Israeli control of and occupation of the Palestinian territory. Yet these Christians live in hope, patience, endurance and the strength and joy of the Lord.

This evening we were treated to light refreshments and conversation at the Shepherd's Hotel in Bethlehem with the Palestinian Minister of Tourism. She was accompanied by the Mayor of Bethlehem, Dr. Victor Batarseh, as well as the Mayor of Beit Sahour. The picture above is one of Anita and I with the Mayor of Bethlehem. About 1.5 million people visited cities in the West Bank in 2007, continuing the annual steady increase from the low of 10,000 in 2002, the year Bethlehem was besieged by Israeli forces. But Palestine today receives only 5% of revenues generated by Holy Land tourism, in part because people stay in the Israeli section of Jerusalem, drive to Bethlehem for an hour or two and return to their hotel area. The Palestinian economy once thrived on tourism and the Minister of Tourism is working hard with religious and comunity leaders to invite people to stay in Bethlehem and other Palestinian cities, as are we bishops and spouses!

The Mayor of Bethlehem made an impassioned speech this evening recalling how the First Baby uttered its first cry right here in this Holy City. The cry of this baby was the cry of the Prince of Peace. But today babies cry in Gaza and parents wail at their dead offspring. The Mayor pleaded for the United States and other world leaders to intervene, to stop sending shipments of military supply, and quicken humanitarian aid. I thanked the Mayor for his speech and assured him of our advocacy for peace and political intervention. As I read the CNN Headlines late this Sunday evening, I am encouraged to learn that President-Elect Obama is making the Middle East Peace Process a top priority.

We are not the only groups traveling in Bethlehem at this time. Three of the ELCA seminaries have groups here for a J-term study. And this afternoon I met a young man from Topeka; he is part of a group of students from Bethel and Tabor Colleges in Kansas.

This Bishop's Academy remains a deeply spiritual trip, singing songs of praise in the land where Jesus walked. But it's not a trip that simply looks at the stones of history, in the land and buildings of antiquity; it is a journey in which we join hands with the living stones of faith today and hear their witness to the joy and hope and life of the Risen Christ, the Prince of Peace, and the power of his Spirit today.

God's peace to all.

Bp Jerry