seeing bethlehem as it is now

many of you, especially church goers, would have heard of the christmas hymn ‘o little town of bethlehem’. it’s a beautiful song that tells of the town that jesus was born – bethlehem. bethlehem – where the lord and saviour, king of peace (to christians) was born… bethlehem… an idlyic peaceful little town… unfortunately now is in chaos.

listen to what mike odetalla, a muslim, had to say:

I soon began to realize that we were singing “O little Town of Bethlehem” to people who had absolutely no idea of what really was happening there. We were singing to people who were completely ignorant of the thousands of desperate refugees who live in Bethlehem’s refugee camps. To our audience, Bethlehem was am idyllicscene, the one often found on post cards, and Christmas greetings. Iknew the brutal truth: that Bethlehem is home to some of the poorest people on earth. Palestinians whose home are the refugee camps of Bethlehem, live in abject poverty and misery, as they have done for generations after being expelled from their homes with the creation of the state of Israel in the ethnic cleansing that took place in 1948. How very fitting that Holy Mary, seeking refuge from the mighty Roman army, and a safe place to give birth, came to this town.

that is only an excerpt of his thoughtful, interesting insight on bethlehem. go and read the full verson here. after reading that, then you might better understand the following ‘o little town of bethlehem’, where one pastor hinchey had changed the lyrics (in 2000) to better fit the town of bethlehem now. (compare it with the orginal and see… the music remains the same.)

“Oh little Town Bethlehem 2000”

Oh little Town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie;
Above thy deep and restless sleep, a missile glideth by.
And over dark streets soundeth the mortar’s deadly roar
While children weep in shallow sleep
For friends who are no more.

How silently, how silently their hope has gone away.
No laughter rings; no choir sings in shepherds fields this day.
The angels in the heavens are hushed in sad lament.
Messiahs home has been burned down
By those to whom He was sent.

Oh, sing for holy innocents who hurled a hopeless stone.
Who ran from tank, who, wounded, sank in gutters all alone.
Their eyes by bullet blinded, their lungs by gasses burned
In sad exile, the Holy Child
Knows Herod has returned.

O Holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us we pray.
Your love bring down on David’s town; Drive fear and hate away.
Awake the ire of nations, let justice he restored.
Rebuild the peace in silent streets
Where once your love was born.