Light in Bethlehem

Picture this, somewhere out in the distance there is a little farming village situated in the east of a region. This village was once known for its vibrant activities,  yet through the passage of time, the production of bountiful crops and the streaming of visitors who would come to their farming festivals each year, all ceased to exist. This had nothing to do with the people of the village, but it had everything to do with the economy of the time. Technology, and the opening of strategic ports in places outside the village, gave rise to new ways of farming, manufacturing, and socializing. The times evolved; however, this little village steeped in it’s culture, faith, and occupation either rejected the dominant culture or felt more secure in the ordinariness of their own culture. After all, this town knew no violence, all the children were known to everyone, and each member of this village could verify to the integrity of one another. The citizens of this village knew that with God and through the lessons of their fore parents, faith would be crucial for their existence in the harshest of times.  

Perhaps this story could have been the story of Bethlehem before the time of Jesus’ birth. There are certainly similarities, both are farming communities, both are villages and both its citizens had faith in God.  One post-secondary research check reveals some of the bright spots in which Bethlehem was known for: it was the prophesied birthplace of Christ and David was anointed king there. It was also called the “City of David”, Ruth gleaned in the grain fields of Boaz and then married Boaz; who was the Great Grandfather of King David. Also, Naomi and Ruth returned to Bethlehem after their sojourn in Moab and Jacob’s wife was buried there (Holy Land Site, 2024).  Obviously, Bethlehem was no ordinary town, it cultivated, nurtured and was the resting place for some of the key characters who were a part of Jesus’ lineage long before He was born.

Where we live ought not to be just purely out of happenstance. Our environment is meant to be a place, to live, grow and thrive. The Garden of Eden spoken of in the book of Genesis was given to Adam and Eve to commune with God. It was a place meant to sustain them and they had no need for anything except to maintain and live in peace with its surroundings. God had one condition, they were not to have eaten from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for in the day they ate from it, they would have surely died. Adam and Eve did not physically die when they ate from the tree, however they lost direct fellowship with God. The scripture says they were put out to the east of the Garden, (funny how Jesus was born in the east) and from that point both the couple and their lineage felt the untold and unimagined effects of disobedience.

Wherever you live, let Christ live with you, He will be that light which shines through the seeming darkness. This darkness can sometimes cause us to forget the godly teachings of our fore parents and the lessons we leant from Sunday School or Sabbath School. The darkness can sometimes cause us to forget the faithfulness of God. The darkness can seem to manifest in the ugly realities of life. Resulting in pain, making you feel indifferent, apathetic and other types of negative emotions you can think of. However, this is not an accurate picture of life. Darkness can never replace light. Jesus is the Light of the world and the hope of the Gentiles (any individual who is not a Jew, erasing all ethnic and social differences among different others). Jesus Christ is the Light and so are you, if you have accepted Him into your heart. You are called to represent Him wherever you are situated, therefore arise and shine and let the glory of the Lord be risen upon you in Jesus’ name. Shalom.

Reference

Holy Land Site. (2024). Retrieved from https://www.holylandsite.com/bethlehem-overview