(PEACEFUL MUSIC)
JACK BECK: THE FIELDS OUTSIDE OF BETHLEHEM
ARE BEAUTIFUL IN THE MORNING LIGHT.
THE JUDEAN HILLS ARE A LITTLE LESS SEVERE IN THIS PLACE
AND THE GENTLE ROLL OF THE LAND
PROVIDES THE ROOM NEEDED TO GROW GRAIN.
THE NAME BETHLEHEM REFLECTS THIS.
TRANSLATED, IT MEANS "HOUSE OF BREAD".
AND LIKE THE BREAD THIS LAND PROVIDED,
THE STORIES WE SEE HERE
ARE STORIES OF PROVISION, OF SOLUTIONS.
THE STORY OF RUTH,
A GENTILE WIDOW WHO GATHERED SCRAPS
FROM THE FARMER BUT THEN WAS PROVIDED
WITH ACCEPTANCE, SAFETY, AND BLESSING.
OR THE STORY OF DAVID,
A SHEPHERD BOY WHO WAS CHOSEN BY GOD
TO LEAD HIS FLOUNDERING NATION
TO JUSTICE, SECURITY AND FLOURISHING.
AND THEN, 2,000 YEARS AFTER ABRAHAM FIRST PURCHASED
DEEDED LAND IN THIS COUNTRY,
A BABY BOY WAS BORN TO PARENTS OF LITTLE MEANS:
ABRAM'S FAR OFF DESCENDANT, JESUS,
WHO WENT ON TO CHANGE THE WORLD,
BRINGING PEACE, LOVE, AND BLESSING.
THIS PLACE, BETHLEHEM, IS A PLACE OF PROVISION.
EACH YEAR, MILLIONS JUST LIKE ME
COME HERE TO REMEMBER THE BIRTH OF THAT BOY,
TO VISIT THE CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY,
THE TRADITIONAL SITE OF JESUS' BIRTH.
(GROOVY JAZZ MUSIC)
JACK: MORNING. GOOD, THANKS. HOW ARE YOU?
MAHIR: A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK OF THIS AREA
AS THE MOST HOLY AREA IN THE WORLD.
AND WE LIVE HERE, WE HAVE OUR HISTORY HERE,
AND OUR ANCESTORS
AND WE'RE ABLE TO COME EVERY DAY
TO THIS CITY AND TO BE BLESSED
AND TO FEEL THE HOLY SPIRIT,
WHICH IS A GREAT BLESSING FOR US
AS BETHLEMITES AND CHRISTIANS OF THIS TOWN.
JACK: SO, JUST LIKE JESUS
WOULD HAVE WALKED THIS PASSAGEWAY,
YOU WALK THIS PASSAGEWAY. I MEAN, HOW IS THAT...
GOING TO CHURCH, WALKING IN THAT SORT OF...
WITH THAT SORT OF HISTORICAL DEPTH.
THAT'S AMAZING.
THIS IS MY LONG-TIME FRIEND MAHIR,
WHO'S AN ELECTED MEMBER OF THE CITY COUNCIL
HERE IN BETHLEHEM.
MAHIR'S FAMILY HAS BEEN IN BETHLEHEM
SINCE THE 16TH CENTURY. AND FOR GENERATIONS,
THEY HAVE ATTENDED THE CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY.
JACK: THIS IS YOUR CHURCH?
MAHIR: (SPEAKING IN ARAMAIC)
THE OLDEST AND THE MOST HOLY CHURCH IN THE WORLD.
NOW, WHEN I ENTER THIS CHURCH,
I HAVE A FLASHBACK ON ALL OF THE HISTORY OF ME.
LIKE, WHEN I WAS YOUNG, WHEN I WAS BAPTIZED,
WHEN I GOT MARRIED.
IT WAS ALL IN THIS PLACE. SO THIS IS MY LIFE.
JACK: SO YOU LIVE OUT THERE BUT YOUR HEART BEATS IN HERE?
MAHIR: MY HEART BEATS IN THIS CHURCH
AND IN THIS TOWN.
(SOOTHING ACOUSTIC MUSIC)
JACK: PEOPLE COME HERE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD
BECAUSE THIS CHURCH MARKS THE TRADITIONAL SITE
OF THE BIRTHPLACE OF JESUS.
THIS IS ONE OF THE OLDEST CHURCHES IN THE WORLD.
DEDICATED IN 339 A.D. BY HELENA,
THE MOTHER OF THE ROMAN EMPEROR CONSTANTINE.
(SOOTHING GUITAR MUSIC)
JACK: IT'S SUCH A BEAUTIFUL BUILDING.
SUCH A BEAUTIFUL BUILDING.
MAHIR: YOU FEEL THE HOLY SPIRIT. JACK: YOU DO.
MAHIR: AND YOU FEEL THE HISTORY
AND THE CULTURE WHEN YOU ENTER.
FOR US, TO BE HERE, FOR US, IT FEELS HOME,
AND IT CONNECTS US WITH OUR ANCESTORS,
AND IT CONNECTS US WITH CHRIST.
JACK: THIS CHURCH IS A SHARED SPACE.
NOT ONLY DO TOURISTS VISIT,
BUT THREE DENOMINATIONS WORSHIP HERE:
THE CATHOLIC, THE ARMENIAN,
AND MAHIR'S GREEK ORTHODOX COMMUNITY.
THEY ALL USE THE SPACE
AS A PLACE TO REMEMBER THE SOLUTION
GOD PROVIDED THROUGH HIS SON.
(UPBEAT MUSIC)
MAHIR: FOR ME, AS A BETHLEMITE GREEK ORTHODOX,
WE TRY TO FOLLOW TRADITIONS.
THEY KEEP US CLOSEST TO OUR ANCESTORS,
AND THEY KEEP US CLOSEST TO THE BIBLE.
JACK: YEAH.
(MUSIC)
MAHIR: SO, YOU SEE THESE STAIRS GOING DOWN?
ALL THIS STONE FROM THE SURROUNDING AREAS
FROM BETHLEHEM.
SO LET'S GO DOWN TO THE CRADLE
WHERE JESUS WAS PUT AFTER HE WAS BORN.
IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE IN HERE,
SEE, THIS IS ALL NATURAL, OKAY?
THIS IS ALL NATURAL.
JACK: AND YOU KNOW, MOST PEOPLE,
WHEN THEY THINK ABOUT THE BIRTHPLACE OF JESUS,
I MEAN, A LOT OF US HAVE WOODEN BARNS
IN WHICH WE SET THAT SCENE.
BUT THE BOOK DOESN'T REALLY SAY IT WAS A WOODEN BARN,
IT SIMPLY SAYS IT'S WHERE THE ANIMALS WERE KEPT
AND PEOPLE WHO WERE LIVING IN BETHLEHEM
IN THE FIRST CENTURY WOULD...
I MEAN, WOOD WAS SO SCARCE
THEY WOULDN'T EVEN DO MUCH OF IT IN THEIR OWN HOMES,
MUCH LESS IN AN ANIMAL SHELTER,
SO THEY USED NATURAL FORMING CAVES LIKE THIS.
THIS LIMESTONE NATURALLY PERFORATES
AND CREATES THESE OPENINGS.
THIS WAS AN ANIMAL SHELTER.
MAHIR: IT IS. THIS IS WHERE THE ANIMALS ATE FROM,
WHERE YOU PUT THE HAY AND THE BARLEY FOR THE ANIMALS.
(RELAXING MUSIC)
JACK: IT'S STRIKING THAT JESUS WAS PLACED IN A MANGER,
A FEEDING TROUGH.
THIS SAME JESUS, AT THE LAST PASSOVER SUPPER
HE SHARED WITH THE DISCIPLES,
PASSED AROUND BREAD AND WINE SAYING,
"EAT. THIS IS MY BODY BROKEN FOR YOU."
AND I'M GRATEFUL.
I AM GRATEFUL FOR MAHIR,
FOR HIS HEART AND PASSION,
AND THOUGH I AM NOT GREEK ORTHODOX,
WE ARE STILL BROTHERS AS FELLOW CHRIST FOLLOWERS.
I'M GRATEFUL HE'S INVITED ME
INTO HIS CULTURE, HIS TRADITION,
AND SHARED THIS RICH SPACE WITH ME.
BETHLEHEM HAS ALWAYS PROVIDED THE SOLUTION
TO OUR DEEPEST NEED:
THE BREAD OF LIFE FOR THE WORLD.
MAHIR: SO THIS IS THE PLACE WHERE JESUS WAS BORN.
THIS IS WHERE WE KNEEL DOWN
AND THEN WE KISS THE STAR.
AND THEN WE TAKE SOME OF THE OIL FROM HERE,
AND THEN WE PUT THE...
JACK: AH, THE SIGN OF THE CROSS. MAHIR: YES, EXACTLY.
WE'RE CONNECTED THROUGH THE BIBLE.
AND YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A SAYING IN HERE.
"IF YOU DON'T HAVE HISTORY,
"YOU WILL NOT HAVE A FUTURE."
AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP,
OUR HISTORY, TRADITION,
TO KEEP IT FOR THE FUTURE GENERATIONS, AS WELL.
JACK: THE LAND STILL SPEAKS. MAHIR: IT DOES.
(UPLIFTING MUSIC)
MAHIR: WE'RE GONNA GO TO THE BELL TOWER
TO SHOW YOU THE CITY OF BETHLEHEM FROM UP TOP.
JACK: I'M EXCITED FOR THAT.
MAHIR: ALSO THE CHURCH. NOW, WHEN YOU EXIT THIS DOOR,
YOU'LL HAVE A DIFFERENT FEELING.
JACK: OH, WOW, IT SURE DOES.
IT JUST OPENS. IT JUST FEELS
LIKE I'M ENTERING A VERY DIFFERENT SPACE.
MAHIR: DEFINITELY.
(MUSIC)
MAHIR: WE'RE ALMOST UP ON THE TOP
WHERE WE USED TO COME UP AS KIDS
WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF ANYBODY.
JACK: I CAN ONLY IMAGINE.
MAHIR: JUST TO BE ON THAT SPOT.
CAN YOU IMAGINE? JACK: OH, MY GOSH.
I CAN SEE YOU SNEAKING AWAY FROM MOM AND DAD
AND COMING UP HERE FOR THIS.
MAHIR: NOT ONLY MOM AND DAD, ALSO THE PRIESTS.
JACK: THE PRIESTS DIDN'T CARE FOR IT EITHER.
OH, THAT IS JUST AMAZING.
MAHIR: SEE, THIS IS THE OLD CITY OF BETHLEHEM.
AND THIS IS THE EASTERN PART OF THE CITY.
AS YOU CAN SEE, JERUSALEM IN THAT AREA,
JUDEAN DESSERT ON THE OTHER SIDE,
AND THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE CITY ON THAT SIDE.
JACK: THAT'S AMAZING.
YOU KNOW WHAT DREW MY ATTENTION ALMOST IMMEDIATELY
WAS THIS CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY
THAT CELEBRATES THE BIRTH OF JESUS
HAS HIS CRUCIFIXION IN VIEW, RIGHT?
I MEAN, LOOK AT THIS.
IT'S SHAPED AS A CRUCIFORM CHURCH.
IT'S THE SHAPE OF A CROSS.
IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, ISN'T IT,
TO THINK THAT THE BIRTH OF JESUS,
AS AMAZING AS IT IS,
IS INADEQUATE TO FIX MY RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FATHER.
BUT IT'S THAT MOMENT THERE THAT REALLY...
THAT'S VERY POWERFUL TO SEE THAT.
MAHIR: IT IS. IT IS.
JACK: TO SEE THAT FROM HERE.
YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE STRIKES ME?
I CAN SEE FROM JERUSALEM THROUGH BETHLEHEM,
ALL THE WAY DOWN THE JUDEAN HILL COUNTRY
TO HEBRON.
THIS IS THE PLACE GOD SAYS,
"MY SOLUTION." MAHIR: EXACTLY.
JACK: WOW! MAHIR: IT'S AMAZING.
JACK: WHEN I READ IN MY BIBLE ABOUT BETHLEHEM,
I'M REMINDED THAT THIS PLACE PROVIDED
WHAT I NEEDED MOST FOR ETERNITY: A SAVIOR.
EVERY STORY HERE POINTS TO THIS PROVISION.
I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE SAVING LIFE OF CHRIST
THAT ENABLES ME TO LIVE BETTER THAN I AM.
(UPLIFTING MUSIC)