Day 6

So...we started today with a bus ride to the Herodian.  This was one of the palaces built by and for Herod the Great, and lies between Jerusalem and Bethlehem.  An imposing structure, and a man-made mountain, this is likely to be where the Magi stopped as they were looking for the one born King of the Jews.   We then journeyed onwards to Shepherds Fields, a beautiful peaceful spot, where we overlooked Bethlehem and sang It Came Upon the Midnight Clear.  Many of the words of that carol have an added significance when sung in that place - yet neath the angle strains have rolled two thousand years of wrong.  Very moving and poignant...

 

From here we went into Bethlehem to the church of the nativity, which, despite being a very different tradition to what we are used to, has a real sense of presence and spirit - here the Word became flesh and lived among us.  Here God was present and moved among us today.

 

We then had a fantastic lunch!  

This was at the Bethlehem Arab Society for Rehabilitation which does a fantastic work providing medical care to the people of Palestine.  No one is turned away, regardless of race, creed, wealth, or any other distinction.  This is one of the charities that Maranatha support through groups such as ours.  We heard about their work from Mary

And then travelled back to the hotel via a view point over the Old City from Mt Scopus

Another great day!  Tomorrow we do Holy Week...