Christmas in Bethlehem will be different this year. The usual festive celebrations have been cancelled and there will be no public celebrations or festive lights. Instead,It will be a time of solemn prayer to mourn the ongoing war in Gaza as well as the crisis in the West Bank which is suffering from increased settler attacks and an economic crisis caused by the strict lockdown imposed after the attacks of October 7th.

While Christmas looks different this year, local Christians continue to hold on to the hope of the Christmas story. This hope is visualized in the manger scene that has been set up in the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church. The manger is made of rubble and depicts the scenes we have seen from Gaza. In the middle of it, under the rubble, lies the baby Jesus all alone. The holy family, wise men and shepherds are positioned around the rocks desperately searching for him. The scene is a poignant and moving reminder of the hope of Christmas. It visualizes the message of Emmanuel, God with us, reminding us that Jesus is with those who suffer. It is a needed message of comfort and hope in a time of war and conflict.