Day 7: Bethlehem and Diyar (Part 1)

Much of our trip was heavy with meetings.  We had the privilege of meeting with many activist organizations, the U.N., a university professor, a leader of the BDS movement, Christian religious leaders from Lutheran, Orthodox, the Y.W.C.A., and Quaker organizations, the leader of a Christian Zionist organization, and a tour of the city that brought us to Palestinian neighborhoods unseen by most tourists and Israelis and Israeli settlements of varying size, Ramallah in Area A, another refugee camp, a member of Palestinian parliament, and other meetings.  It was heavy with head-stuff, heart-stuff, and spirit-stuff.  I'll divide these days up more, since they are heavy with information.

Our hotel was in East Jerusalem, so we began our day, as we did most days, by getting in our van for a small drive.  Here is what it looks like to drive into Bethlehem:



Our day began in Bethlehem.  It was Armenian Christmas and the Patriarch was coming to town, so there was lots of security for a parade.  We first went into the church, which was heavily under construction, to visit the spot that is supposed to be the birthplace of Christ:

Above:  (at Church of the Nativity)  Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem at the spot some believe Jesus was born. 

Seeing the church under construction was an interesting experience:

After wandering the church, we went to see the parade and procession of the Patriarch.  I loved how different the Armenian Christmas was from my Christmas experience.  The festive parade full of youth was amazing.

Above:  (at Church of the Nativity)  Armenian Christmas. We saw the patriarch process into the Church of the Nativity, preceded by their equivalent of boy scouts and girl scouts. This doesn’t quite capture the festive energy. The sense of joy was palpable.

After visiting the church and viewing the parade, we went to Diyar, an organization based in Bethlehem.

From their pamphlet:

“Diyar is the plural of Dar, which means “home” or homeland” in Arabic.  Diyar is a Lutheran-based, ecumenically-oriented organization serving the whole Palestinian community, with emphasis on children, youth, women and the elderly through unique programs that are contextual and holistic in nature.  Founded in 1995 as the International Center of Bethlehem, Diyar Consortium serves several thousands of members and reaches to more than 60,000 people annually.”

 We met with Rev. Mitri Raheb, the author of Faith in the Face of Empire: Reading the Bible with Palestinian Eyes, one of our textbooks for the class.  I'm bummed that I didn't bring my book for him to sign.  He is a leader at Diyar.  You can find their website here:  Diyar Consortium

Also from their pamphlet:

Our Vision

That We Might Have Life & Have it Abundantly

Our Mission

To build a country; stone by stone

To empower a community; person by person

To create institutions that give life in abundance

From their brochure:

Civic Engagement

The Civic Engagement Program seeks to empower Palestinian youth, women, teachers and future leaders, and transform them from spectators to actors by identifying, motivating, and developing their potential through a unique and holistic approach.  The Program offers training in civic education and multiple civil society engagement initiatives.

Culture

Culture is often seen as a luxury, while in fact it is the art to breathe in a context of continuous conflict.

Diyar offers room for creativity, space for self-expression and venue for cultural exchanges on the local, regional, and international levels, thus making Bethlehem the cultural destination in Palestine.

From the Diyar brochure:

Diyar Art Center

“DAC seeks to empower Palestinian women by employing the arts as a vehicle for nurturing their creativity, enhancing their economic sustainability and giving a voice through advancing their productions as their personal unique expressions.”

From the Diyar brochure:

Diyar Publisher

Diyar publisher is committed to document the oral history of the Palestinian people, and to publish the works of Palestinian and international scholars on issues related to Palestinian art, social history, religion, Palestinian Christians, women, archaeology and civil society.

Ajyal

With no social security or health insurance for those who are above 65 years old, Ajyal Program is a comprehensive elderly care program that offers basic services, spiritual fellowship, social support system and opportunities for continuous education and growth.

Diyar is a wonderful organization and Rev. Raheb is an inspirational figure.  His ministry is the kind that is truly the work of God.

Our next visit in Bethlehem was with Karios Palestine, another Christian organization.  I'll share some about that next time.