The City of David

I would be lying if I said Bethlehem is beautiful. It's not. Bethlehem is a slum. I do not say this with disdain or disappointment, I say this because the area is in the West Bank and is Palestinian and therefore subjected to extreme poverty and oppression. We went to the Church of the Nativity today, which was too ornate for my aesthetic taste buds but I found it upsetting that such opulence is surrounded by a desperate people. (Not to say that the Catholic church hasn't done anything for the Palestinian people, they have, but the travel agencies advise tourists to avoid the Palestinians and spend no longer then an hour visiting Bethlehem.)

Immediately following that experience, we were led to a Palestinian refugee camp. The stair way of the youth center is covered by a mural that depicts the pathos and history of the conflict. I was struck by the vivid colors and the vibrant expressions both on the walls and on the faces of the children dancing on the third floor. We walked in on a rehearsal for their recital. All of this goes to show that language is not limited to words. Their movement, their faces, their environment said it all.

Unfortunately, it is late and I don't have the time to say more. I'll put up pictures of the camp later on and will definitely be willing to talk more about the conflict if people are interested.

Quickly, I went to a concert tonight put on by the London Choir. It was a bit long, but ear candy.