Category Archives: Advent

Our tour bus pulled into the “modern day” city of Bethlehem, just six miles southwest of Jerusalem. After years of mental images associating this small town with Christmas, Magi, and angels, the reality is a disappointment. Bethlehem today is a small Arab town at the outskirts of the major centers and tourist attractions in the area. If it had a twin sister city in my state we’d call it a “hole in a wall” kind of place. Aside from the tourist-trap shops and the unlikely ubiquitous presence of obnoxious street vendors, there is no hint that anything interesting exists in this dusty little town. Continue reading →