While studying abroad in Jerusalem, we got the clearance to travel into Bethlehem for one day. This was a day that I will forever hold dear, and where some of my greatest spiritual experiences and memories come from while on my study abroad! I love Christmas because of all of the festivities, traditions, family time, twinkling lights, happy spirits, and good food. But most of all, I love the month of December and the season of Christmas because it is a time that I reflect more heavily on my Savior. It is nearly impossible for me to think of my Savior and not think about my many experiences in or around Jerusalem on my study abroad. This was a time for me of growth and light. This month, I have been thinking a lot about that day in Bethlehem in particular. While some things of that day are too personal for me to share on this blog, others I would love to expound upon.
After visiting the Herodium, Bethlehem University, and eating lunch at the Tent Restaurant, we made our way to the Church of the Nativity. The entrance to the Church of the Nativity is almost hard to spot--it is so small. It was built like that on purpose to suggest humility upon all entering. In fact, you wouldn't know it but in the picture right below we are all waiting in line to go through the door.
^^ Our Jewish professor, Ophir Yardin, in the hat.
We unexpectedly ran into him there!
The entrance to the Church of the Nativity is directly behind his head. ^^
^^ The small doorway from the inside... ^^
In order for this all to make sense to you, I'll show you a picture. These cities in the Near East have been around for quite some time, and when they would get conquered and rebuilt, people would build on top of the existing buildings. This has created layers of different time periods under what is now the ground of the city. So, to illustrate take a look at the picture below which is a mosaic floor underneath the floor of the Church today.
Many historical sites in Israel are down a flight or more in the ground where the layers of that time period actually existed. The Church of the Nativity is built over a cave that tradition marks as the birthplace of Jesus. Most pilgrims go to the Church of the Nativity to stand in line and file past the Star of Bethlehem (where many believe is the exact spot of earth where Jesus was born). Upon entering the Church, we found the wait to see the Star of Bethlehem to be an hour long. Since we didn't have time to do both, we were given the choice of waiting in line with other pilgrims to file past the iconic Star of Bethlehem or to venture down with one of our professors into the same cave (but a different section) to have more of a devotional-type experience. Since I don't have any pictures of the Star of Bethlehem, I bet you can guess which option I chose....
I learned very quickly on my study abroad that it didn't matter the exact place, but the event that took place there or somewhere near there. While in the Nativity Cave (pictured above), we sang hymns and songs about our dear Lord and Savior. I remember that the words of "Away in a Manger" all of a sudden became real as I stood in that manger!
Away in a manger, no crib for his bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head;
The stars in the heavens look down where he lay,
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.
Silent night! Holy night!
All is calm, all is bright.
Round yon virgin mother and Child
Holy Infant, so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace; sleep in heavenly peace.
Silent night! Holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight!
Glories stream from heaven a-far;
Heav'nly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ, the Savior, is born! Christ, the Savior is born!
Silent night! Holy night!
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from thy holy face,
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord at thy birth; Jesus, Lord at thy birth.
I clearly remember sitting there in the back of the bus upon leaving, hurriedly scribbling in my journal while talking to my friend Dev about our experiences. I wrote, "We can invite Christ to be born into our lives and others anywhere we are. Spirit here is overwhelming! I couldn't sing at times because I was overcome with the Spirit. It was an incredible feeling!"
I remember that as I sang, I had this overwhelming sensation that I was realizing truths more fully but that I had previously learned them before...that there was a strong sense of familiarity to those words that we sung together. Those truths were that Jesus came to this earth as a baby, was born in a manger, and that He was not just a normal baby, but He was a child of God. He came to the earth to save us all. His humble birth became infinitely more meaningful as I realized that we were all singing praises to Him because of His divine mission, not so much because of His divine entrance into the world. He was not just another baby, but the Baby that would save us all from sin. There is no doubt in my mind that Jesus is the Christ.
Papa Hunts (my New Testament professor) would always quote President Hinckley who said, "There would be no Christmas if there had not been Easter. The babe Jesus of Bethlehem would be but another baby without the redeeming Christ of Gethsemane and Calvary, and the triumphant fact of the Resurrection." (find the whole talk here...it's a good one!) In short, these words came to life for me that day in a way that they never had before.
This year while reading the December Ensign I came across the following quote by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. He said, "You can't separate Bethlehem from Gethsemane or the hasty flight into Egypt from the slow journey to the summit of Calvary. It's of one piece. It is a single plan. It considers 'the fall and rising again of many in Israel' [Luke 2:34], but always in that order. Christmas is joyful not because it is a season or decade or lifetime without pain and privation, but precisely because life does hold those moments for us." (from this talk.)
We got off the bus in what looked liked the middle of nowhere. We followed our professors as we walked around some hills and then sat down on any rocks that we could find, or on the dirt. We had arrived in some shepherd's fields, we were told. The sun was just setting and you could see parts of Bethlehem not too far away. Real shepherd's fields! In Bethlehem! The more I looked around, the more I realized that this field looked like those in the paintings depicting the shepherds at Jesus' birth. Again, that night of old became real to me! Our professors each shared some thoughts about Jesus' birth and then we proceeded to sing some Christmas hymns together.
O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie.
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by;
Yet in thy dark streets shineth the ever-lasting Light.
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.
For Christ is born of Mary, and, gathered all above while mortals sleep,
the angels keep their watch of wond'ring love.
O morning starts, together proclaim the holy birth,
And praises sing to God the King, and peace to men on earth.
The first Noel the angel did say was to certain poor shepherds
in fields as they lay,
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep on a cold winter's night
that was so deep.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel!
Born is the King of Israel!
They looked up and saw a star shining in the East beyond them far,
And to the earth it gave great light, and so it continued both day and night,
While shepherds watch'd their flocks by nigh, all seated on the ground,
The angel of the Lord came down, and glory shone around.
"Fear not," said he, for mighty dread had seized their troubled mind;
"Glad tidings of great joy I bring to you and all mankind."
"To you, in David's town this day, is born of David's line
The Savior who is Christ the Lord, and this shall be the sign:
The heav'nly Babe you there shall find to human view displayed,
All meanly wrapped in swathing bands, and in a manger laid."
Thus spake the seraph, and forthwith appeared a shining throng of angels praising God,
who thus addressed their joyful song:
"All glory be to God on high and on the earth be peace.
Good will henceforth from heav'n to men begin and never cease."
It came upon the midnight clear, that glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth to tough their harps of gold:
"Peace on the earth, good will to men from heav'n's all-gracious King."
And ever o'er its babel sounds the blessed angels sing.
Far, far away on Judea's plains,
Shepherds of old heard the joyous strains:
Glory to God, Glory to God,
Glory to God in the highest;
Peace on earth, good-will to men;
Peace on earth, good-will to men!
Angels we have heard on high sweetly singing o'er the plains,
And the mountains in reply echoing their joyous strains.
Gloria in excelsis Deo.
Gloria in excelsis Deo.
Shepherds, why this jubilee? Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be which inspire your heav'nly song?
Come to Bethlehem and see Him whose birth the angels sing;
Come adore on bended knee Christ the Lord, the newborn King.
Gloria in excelsis Deo.
Gloria in excelsis Deo.
I am grateful for the records that we have of this wonderful night and of all of the participators in the scriptures of whom we can learn from. And can you guess what happened while we were sitting there singing those beautiful hymns about the shepherds and the birth of our Savior? A shepherd came quietly over the hill right next to us guiding his sheep. The conditions and the message hit me powerfully. Not only was it incredible to see an actual shepherd leading his sheep, but I immediately thought about how Christ is our Good Shepherd. It all came together once more as I sang about the Babe that saved us all and who lives today to lead us back to our Heavenly Father.
How silently, how silently the wondrous gift was giv'n!
So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of his heav'n.
No ear may hear his coming; but in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive him, still the dear Christ enters in.
Lord, with the angels we too would rejoice;
Help us to sing with the heart and voice:
Glory to God, Glory to God,
Glory to God in the highest;
Peace on earth, good-will to men;
Peace on earth, good-will to men!
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