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In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place in the guest room.

Now in that same region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them, and Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. Luke 2:1-19

In the nativity story you hear the words from the innkeeper: “No child should be without a place to be safe.” And the sentiment from Joseph: “No woman should be shamed in these days when too many men cast them aside as nothing.” Mary is quoted as saying: “Every creature, every person, is precious in God’s sight. Every being deserves love.” An angel speaks: “You do not need to be afraid. It isn’t that bad things won’t happen. It’s just that I have it on good authority that you are never alone. Especially when times are scary. You are never alone.”

Advent and Christmas teach us that God is with us! More than that, we are reminded that Jesus was born at a time of unrest and at a time of cruelty and oppression. Jesus knew trauma. He came into the world to teach another way.

The Nassar family owns a 100-acre farm outside of Bethlehem, land that has been in their legal and well-documented possession since 1916. For generations, the family has farmed olives, almonds, grapes, apricots, figs, and even wheat on their land. However, for the last thirty years, farming has been met with increasing obstacles, including legal battles around ownership and harassment from soldiers and settlers alike.

The Nassars are a Palestinian Christian family. Their farmland is atop gently sloping hills and was recently “re-designated” as Israeli state land. Surrounding their farm are five Jewish settlements on the hillside. Recently, before a harvest, the military came and plowed under their apricot trees. When the Nassar family rejected a bid on the part of neighboring settlers to build a road through their land, the settlers uprooted 250 of the Nassars’ olive trees, hoping to push them to “voluntarily” vacate their land.

Guiding by the words and witness of Jesus, the Nassar family refuses to be enemies with other people of faith. When people come to harass them, they offer them tea and a shady place to sit.

When the Nassars’ electricity was turned off, they installed solar panels. When they were denied water service, they dug cisterns to catch rainwater. When their trees were uprooted, they planted saplings. The demolition order on their structures meant re-purposing caves on the land to shelter the family.

The Nassar family has created an outpost of peace and welcome just up the road from Bethlehem, where the Prince of Peace is said to have been born.

This Advent season, we have explored stories from the 1st century and the 21st century about the people who lived and live in and around Bethlehem, where God chose to become human. Advent is not immediate. It is a slow process of welcoming God into our lives. Across lands and peoples, we continue to be a part of that unfolding hope the angels sang of on the outskirts of Bethlehem. And their song has given us hope for all the perilous nights since.