Bethlehem Besieged: Stories of Hope in Times of Trouble.Bethlehem Besieged be·siege tr.v. be·sieged, be·sieg·ing, be·sieg·es 1. To surround with hostile forces. 2. To crowd around; hem in. 3. : Stories of Hope in Times of Trouble. By Mitri Raheb. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2004. viii and 157 pages. Paper. $13.00. In times of crisis you can only tell stories. Stories can draw readers who stand at a safe distance into the crisis context. Stories can grip hearers in ways logical discourse does not. In Bethlehem Besieged, Mitri Raheb tells stories of life under Israeli occupation. Raheb, a Palestinian Christian The Palestinian Christians are Palestinians who follow Christianity. In both the local dialect of Palestinian Arabic and in classical or modern standard Arabic, Christians are called Nasrani (a derivative of the Arabic word for Nazareth, al-Nasira) or , is the pastor of Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem and author of the book I Am a Palestinian Christian (Fortress, 1995). The book is divided into three parts. Part 1 contains five brief chapters describing life "under siege" during the Israeli army's incursion in·cur·sion n. 1. An aggressive entrance into foreign territory; a raid or invasion. 2. The act of entering another's territory or domain. 3. into Bethlehem as part of the military offensive called "Operation Defensive Shield Operation Defensive Shield (Hebrew: מבצע חומת מגן ," launched by Israeli Prime Minister Sharon in April 2002. Raheb describes his family's fear as soldiers forcefully entered and ransacked ran·sack tr.v. ran·sacked, ran·sack·ing, ran·sacks 1. To search or examine thoroughly. 2. To search carefully for plunder; pillage. their house as well as the standoff between the army and Palestinian gunmen in the Church of the Nativity The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem (Arabic, كنيسة المهد) is one of the oldest continuously operating churches in the world. . In Part 2, Raheb includes five chapters to describe "Life under Occupation" for himself and others. He is autobiographical in demonstrating how Israel's occupation of the West Bank and Gaza--an occupation going back to 1967 and hence the longest one in our times--affects every aspect of life. For example, he poignantly describes how inadequate hospital care in Bethlehem and the delays of getting his father-in-law through military checkpoints contributed to his death within twelve days of reaching a Jerusalem hospital. Part 3, "Glimpses of Hope," includes a number of "stories of hope in times of trouble"--for example, the Advent 2000 nonviolent march in Bethlehem of 2,500 people; the exhibition of local artists depicting "Christ in the Palestinian Context" prompted by Church of Sweden's request in November 2002; the "Bright Stars" programs now involving over 1,000 Palestinian children in art, music, sports, communication and environmental clubs; and the activities sponsored by the Lutheran Church through the International Center of Bethlehem--Dar al-Kalima School, the Cultural and Conference Center, and the Dar al-Kalima Health and Wellness Center. Despite all the incredible hardships under military occupation, those who travel to Bethlehem in solidarity with the Palestinian Christians discover ongoing activities that sponsor hope among the people there and those who visit. James L. Bailey, Professor Emeritus Wartburg Theological Seminary Wartburg Theological Seminary is a Lutheran (ELCA) seminary located in Dubuque, Iowa. Mission Statement Wartburg Theological Seminary serves the mission of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America by being a worship-centered community of critical theological reflection Dubuque, Iowa Dubuque is a city in the U.S. State of Iowa, located along the Mississippi River. Its population was estimated at 57,696 in 2006,[3] making it the eighth-largest city in the state. |
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