Genocide in Gaza: Christmas in Bethlehem Canceled, Nativity Scene under Rubble

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As genocide unfolds in Gaza, Christians in the Holy Land are having a hard time finding joy this Christmas season. Bethlehem has canceled its traditional celebrations. There is no tree lighting or any form of celebration.

Instead of the traditional nativity scene of Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus in a stable surrounded by shepherds and sheep, Father Munther Ishaq, pastor of the Lutheran Church in Bethlehem, installed a nativity scene depicting baby Jesus lying under the rubble. Pastor Isaac explained the appropriateness of the representation because “if Jesus was born today, he would be in solidarity with humanity suffering in Gaza.” Some Christians in the West will certainly scoff at this, accusing Palestinians of misinterpreting Christmas or politicizing it to suit their needs.

But in reality, the grossly distorted version of Christmas is its common manifestation in the West, where trees, lights and Santa Claus have eclipsed the birth of Jesus as the leitmotifs of the Christmas season. These innocent traditions have been sufficiently exploited by commercial interests, making the month before Christmas a constant campaign of temptations to buy more and more.

When Christmas in the West involves religious themes, the Nativity story is presented as a sanitized fairy tale. In the city of Bethlehem, “all is quiet, all is bright.” Then the birth takes place, and joy follows. However, other aspects of the story as told in Scripture and tradition point to a more complex and more human subtext.

If these elements are treated superficially in our contemporary narrative, they will become incomprehensible and confusing to those who heard the story two thousand years ago. Mary was a young girl, nine months pregnant, who was forced to travel for several days from Nazareth to Bethlehem, the home of her husband Joseph’s family. Because they did not find a place to stay, they were forced to take shelter in one of the many caves in Bethlehem. There is a detail in the Qur’an that tells of Mary, who, as she was about to give birth, went off on her own and cried out in labor pains: “I wish I had never been born!” The Bible indicates that the new parents were warned by the Roman governor of the region, who, feeling threatened by the birth of a child who might challenge his authority, sent troops to slaughter the newborns.

This threat forces Mary, Joseph, and their newborn child to flee to Egypt. Thus a picture different from that prevailing in our culture emerges. In addition to the joy of new life and the celebration of the child who will offer salvation, a more complete picture must include the stark situation, the pain associated with childbirth, and the natural fears of new parents highlighted by concerns for safety in the face of oppressive rule.

And never forget Mary’s words when she learned that she would give birth to Jesus. She praises God, saying in part of her praise: “He revealed the strength of his helper, and he dispersed those who were arrogant in their hearts. He lowered the powerful from their thrones, and exalted the lowly. He filled the hungry with good things, and the rich sent them away empty-handed.” As Pastor Isaac points out, Jesus stands in solidarity with suffering humanity and gives it hope.

The child under the rubble offers “hope for a new beginning out of the devastation.” This most faithful performance of the Christmas narrative is consistent with today’s reality facing Palestinians in Bethlehem and Gaza.

In Bethlehem, they are isolated from the rest of the West Bank by a 28-inch-high concrete wall and massive Jewish-only settlements built on their shared land. They have lost access to their fields and vineyards, and their ability to travel is severely restricted. In Gaza, Palestinians were forced to flee their homes, now in ruins, and then were bombed or killed by sniper fire when they sought refuge.

Today, more than 30,000 Palestinian women in Gaza are pregnant, their homes are destroyed, and there is no comfortable place to give birth to their children. From day to day, they live in fear, like Maryam, moving to escape the constant bombardment. Pastor Isaac’s action is, in fact, the most appropriate way to commemorate Christmas, because the story of Jesus’ birth is an act that resonates with the suffering of humanity, and an expression of the hope that comes with every new life. With this in mind, I wish you a happy, but meaningful, birthday.

*President of the Arab American Institute – Washington

#Happy #meaningful #birthday
2023-12-23 19:45:04