Bethlehem Lutheran Church

Words cannot begin to express what we experienced in Hebron; with the aid of a guide from Christian Peacemakers Team (CPT), we walked through the Old City, experiencing vibrant markets, overshadowed by settlements on either side. The market streets are covered with a cage-like structure to prevent the debris sometimes showered from above from hitting the people below.

We passed through two consecutive checkpoints to enter the mosque which houses the traditional gravesites of Abraham, Isaac and Rebekah. Then, we continued on to market streets that have been closed off from Palestinians, with many of the buildings’ doors welded shut. We were the only people on these streets. We completed our tour of the city on the roof of the CPT volunteer’s apartment, where we were reminded by Israeli soldiers a couple of rooftops away that we were not to take any pictures; we felt encouraged to leave somewhat quickly.

We ended our day with Pastor Mitri Raheb. In contrast to our visit to Hebron, he shared how he and the other leaders of Christmas Lutheran (and related ministries) are intentionally developing young leaders and exporting HOPE.

Their vision may be best captured on a banner we saw hanging in the art room at the current site of Dar Al’Kalima College:

Destruction May Be… Creativity Shall Be…

(Matt Johnson)