Birthplace of Jesus Christ

Here’s a brief description of our recent trip to Bethlehem, which is within the Palestinian territory just south of Jerusalem.

When we crossed into Palestinian territory I couldn’t help but feel as though we were driving through a giant prison. The graffiti wall snaked across the landscape and dwarfed all the trees in sight. Sadness quickly replaced my shock, but the excitement of visiting the Lord’s birthplace suddenly turned my sorrow to joy again – praise God.

Our tour guide told us that we were fortunate to be traveling during the off peak season, because you could spend a good part of the day waiting to get into the Church of the Nativity other times of the year. Nevertheless, we still found it very crowded. The sound of whispers grew to a low roar as we approached the entrance to the Grotto of the Nativity.

When I was finally within arm’s reach of the Silver Star marking (pictured here), the place where Jesus was born, silence seemed to fill the congested room. I felt as though I was alone in a room full of people. The noise faded and I found myself having a profound spiritual moment- then came the pushing and shoving. Before I knew it I was back upstairs.

I stepped outside and allowed the sunlight to warm my skin while I pondered over the experience. My excitement was growing by the second, so I reached for my phone and shared the experience with my family back home. And now I shared it with you.

God Bless.

“So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” Matthew 1:22-23 (NKJV)