Promised Land or Land of Promise? • Part 1

by Mary Pneuman

All was calm in Bethlehem’s Manger Square as hundreds of Palestinian Christian and Muslim families gathered together around a 30-foot lighted Christmas tree to sing carols and enjoy the beginning of the Advent season. Throngs would come again and again over the next four weeks to share the spirit of Christmas as they prepare to celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace,

But most of those awaiting the coming of Christ at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem will not be able travel to Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulcher at Easter to celebrate Christ’s resurrection. Bethlehem is located in the Palestinian territory of the West Bank, and Jerusalem is off-limits to most West Bankers unless a special permit can be obtained. In fact, many of the Christian holy places, such as Nazareth and the Sea of Galilee (where are located churches that commemorate the Annunciation, the Sermon on the Mount, and the Multiplication of Loaves and Fishes) fall inside the boundaries of the State of Israel, and most West Bank Palestinians are not allowed to enter or travel freely inside Israel.

The  Christian population of Israel and Palestine now stands at less than 2%, but those who remain cling to the belief that one day justice and peace will come to the Holy Land. Their steadfast faith is their hope. Tourism, once the mainstay of the towns and cities with high concentrations of Christians, has been greatly reduced, but for the indigenous Christians, these ancient Holy places offer testimony to deep and continuous roots in the land, along with reassurance that peace will come in God’s time.

St. Thomas pilgrims, Fred and Mary Pneuman and Marian Woosley, returned recently from a two-week sojourn in the Holy Land with new insights into the contradictions and conflicts which separate the children of Abraham. Some of their observations and what this may mean for Christians everywhere will appear in this blog over the next few weeks.

We invite everyone to join us for a conversation with these pilgrims on two Wednesdays, January 22 and January 29 at 6:30 pm in the Church. [More info...]