As the story is told from long ago, Jesus was born while his parents, Joseph and Mary, were traveling; they had stopped in Bethlehem for the night, a town a few miles south of Jerusalem.

It is said there were no rooms available for travelers that night, and so an inn-keeper let the couple sleep in the stable. It was there Jesus was born, and was laid in a manger, one of the troughs used to feed the livestock.

Such were the humble beginnings Jesus’ life, the person through who God came into human world to live with us.

Now more than 2,000 years later, the region of Palestine & Israel is in heavy, violent conflict. More than 20,000 people have died in the war; mostly those who have been killed are Palestinians; mostly civilian women and children have died.

It is against this backdrop that the town of Bethlehem has decided there will be no public celebration of Christmas this year. The decision seems fitting. After all, would the Prince of Peace condone the heavy violence and carnage of so many people?

The Nativity Scene in Bethlehem captures the harsh reality of this time. Not a baby in a manger, but lying on concrete rubble.

Whoa this time we are in, whoa indeed. May God have mercy on us all. May we find a way to peace.