Growing up, I always
had a pretty clear picture of what the first Christmas looked like-Mary,
dressed in blue, and Joseph have been relegated to the stable by a grouchy
inn-keeper who “has no room for them at the inn,” despite the unconventional
settings they are warm and comfortable. Together, with looks of love and
tenderness, they are kneeling quietly in a pristine stable (ok, so this was
usually a big red barn), bright shining star above indicating that this is THE stable where baby Jesus lying in a
manager full of hay surrounded by sheep, cows, donkeys serenely watching over
him as he slept.
Ok, so my visions of
this scene look identical to the nativity set that I grew up with and are
incredibly influenced by my growing up in Northeast Iowa. However, having had
the chance to spend the past four months getting to know Bethlehem, and then to
celebrate Christmas in Bethlehem, my vision of the nativity is changing. I am beginning to realize there aren’t
a lot of barns in the area, much less any giant red barns. I am reminded when I see the shepherds
with there sheep that animals are rarely quiet or clean (one would think I
would know this, I mean I grew up in rural Iowa…). I am reminded teach time night falls here, that
even if the days are semi-warm, it is anything but warm here without the sun
and some nights it can be absolutely freezing.
However, perhaps the
biggest change I am beginning to see is in the way I visualized the
innkeeper. No longer is this man a
gruff man firmly refusing to give shelter to a very weary and pregnant Mary
because he couldn’t, or wouldn’t, make room for them who at the last minute
takes pity on them and offers them the bare minimum. As I encounter the people of Bethlehem and the
surrounding area, I begin to understand this as an incredible act of
hospitality.
On Christmas Eve, I
listened to Pastor Fred Strickert speak about the culture of hospitality here
saying:
But these are not merely
nostalgic episodes of what might have been, but testimonies of faith and hope. People came to Bethlehem, because they
knew that Bethlehemites would take them in…What else would one expect when hospitality reigns chief among virtues? What else would one expect from people whose first words
that role off their lips are Ahlan wa-sahlan? (side note: Ahlan Wa-Sahlan
essentially means “welcome, feel at home" see blog here.) They would not think of turning
away Joseph and his pregnant wife.
That was not the culture of Bethlehem. They would find a place for them, even if it was in the cave
below the house.
This hospitality isn’t something of the distant past
either. It showing up in my every
day life. It shows up in the
pastor of my church always asking if I have been able to talk to my family and
inquiring about their well-being. It shows up in the teachers at my school calling to make sure
I would not be lonely over the Christmas Break. It shows up in being taken is as an “eighth daughter” twenty minutes after meeting a neighbor woman.
In the past Christmas has always been a time of gathering
with family and friends. Of being
surrounded with the chaos of all the familiar celebrations, gift exchanges and
carol sings. This year, as I
celebrated Christmas far from home, just as I began to picture the nativity in
a new way, I also began to
understand Christmas in new way- as a time of hospitality, welcoming in the
stranger and being open to the new and unfamiliar. In concluding his sermon, Pastor Fred reminded
us that:
Christmas is not even
about safe, romantic, idyllic tales of long ago, but it is about Christ coming
into our midst, now, in the present moment. Christmas is about welcoming Jesus
into our midst, as we welcome the least among us, as we show hospitality to the
stranger, for then we may discover that we have been entertaining angels
unawares, or even God’s own son.
I will leave you with one of my new favorite Arabic
Christmas carols- Laylat Al-Milad
(translation: Christmas Night). This carol was sung at every celebration I went to, every church service
I attended and every gathering I attended:
So this version is a bit more jazzy then the one we normally sang.
Translation of the
lyrics:
Chorus:
On Christmas Eve
Hatred is gone
On Christmas Eve
The_ earth blossoms
On Christmas Eve
War is buried
On Christmas Eve
Love grows
Verse 1:
When I kiss my friends
with no cheating
It's Christmas
When vengeance withers
in my soul
It's Christmas
When indifference is
defeated in_ my heart
It's Christmas
When my soul melts in
God
It's Christmas
Verse 2:
When we offer water to
the thirsty
It's Christmas
When we give a robe of
love to the_ naked
It's Christmas
When we dry the tears
It's Christmas
When we spread hope in
the hearts
It's Christmas
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