Presbyterian Church in Ireland - Mission Overseas - Christmas letter from the Holy Land

24th December 2009

A member of Global Ministries of the Church of Christ (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ writes from Jerusalem:

It is the Advent season and here in Jerusalem and Bethlehem people have hung the lights and put up the Christmas trees despite the concern that Christians will be denied permits again this year so that they can not get together with family members who live in Jerusalem or inside Israel.

Each year we put together a letter at Advent and Lent with the hope that the different churches will share the letter with their congregations not only as a reminder that we are all one in the body of Christ, but with hope that people will remember the Christians of the land of Jesus who have been faithful witnesses for thousands of years and be moved to ease their suffering.

Please take a moment to read the letter, pass it on to friends, read it to your congregations, and pray for all those around the world and in Bethlehem who are unable to enjoy the season, but still manage to find hope and solace in the knowledge of Christ’s birth.

“O Come, O Come Emmanuel!”

The year 2009 began with the Israeli offensive on Gaza, with 1,387 Palestinians and 13 Israelis killed and over 5000 Palestinians and 182 Israelis injured. As the year continued, hundreds of Palestinians were uprooted by home demolitions or evictions and many thousands more face the threat of demolition, eviction and displacement.

As the year draws to an end, we note the deepening trauma the occupation creates in the lives of the people we walk alongside. Land confiscation, settlement expansion, home demolitions, increased tension in and over Jerusalem – all central elements of the Israeli occupation - make everyday life uncertain, difficult and stressful. O Come, O Come Emmanuel!

Reflecting on the society into which Jesus was born, we see many similarities to life here today. The ancient Israelites were occupied and suffered at the hands of a foreign power. The Roman occupiers lived freely, able to use and abuse the local population at will, while the subjugated peoples lived in constant uncertainty and anxiety, never sure how they would be treated or whether they would be singled out for random punishment.

This is being repeated today for Palestinians living under the longest occupation in modern history, generally trying to live life and survive, but sometimes crossing the line into illegal and counter-productive violence, such as firing rockets from Gaza into Israel. O Come, O Come Emmanuel!

Mary caught the hopes of so many, then and now, when she sang: “God has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. God has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich empty away” (Luke 2:53-54).

We know that Jesus’ life reflected that vision of Mary. Christ came to earth to bring about a new reality: a Godly realm where the oppressed are lifted up; where the meek, the hungry, and the peacemakers are blessed; where all nations stand before God's penetrating gaze. O Come, O Come Emmanuel!

What the Palestinian community faces, Jesus knew when he walked these stony hills. More than 2000 years later, as we reflect on this situation, we are faced with many frustrations and much distress.

Advent is a time for hope: a hope which can transform the life of the occupied and occupier alike; a hope which can bring a new era for all people to live in freedom and justice.

In this Advent season: pray for God’s justice and peace in Israel and Palestine. Pray that justice will be done, that peace will reign, that all peoples may flourish with life in fullness. That is the promise of the baby in the manger who became the risen Christ.

O Come, O Come Emmanuel! O Come, O Come Emmanuel!

Blessings and Peace this Advent-tide from those of us here in the land of Christ's birth.