Recently I visited Israel. In the ‘little town of Bethlehem,’ a shepherd boy gently placed a week-old lamb in my arms. How pure white it was, how defenseless. How like the Lamb of God.
As I wove through the narrow streets of Jerusalem, for centuries a battleground, the presence of Christ startled me. His peace arose from an Ethiopian lady in a church-owned café. His joy radiated from a juice seller who shouted ‘Hallelujah!’ as he chopped his oranges in half.
From this polarizing region, “Christmas reminds us that God takes sides,” declares Pastor Isaac of Bethlehem. “God chose to suffer with us. God became part of our messy and ugly world.”
Born in Bethlehem, Jesus Christ arrived helpless.
Alive today, He grants peace and joy.
Coming again, He promises hope.
“To be a Christian,” declares Pastor Isaac, “is to hope.” Hallelujah!
In today’s divided world, how will you determine whose side you are on?
