“Christ in the Rubble”— A Christmas Sermon from Bethlehem
What is the message of Christ amid the devastation in Palestine?
Rev. Dr. Isaac Munther, the pastor of Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem said, “If Jesus were born today, he would be born in Gaza amid the rubble.”
Since the devastating Hamas terrorist attack on Israel in October that claimed 1,200 lives and in which 240 hostages were taken, more than 20,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in response—many of the victims are children.
In the midst of such death, violence, and suffering how can anyone celebrate Christmas? How can we honestly say “joy to the world” when grief is so pervasive?
On December 23, Christmas Lutheran Church commemorated the coming of Christ with a liturgy of lament.
The church has already become internationally known for its depiction of “Christ in the Rubble”—an expression of the broken world into which Christ entered 2,000 years ago and the brokenness of the very same land today.
Rev. Munther delivered a stirring sermon that spoke of “state theology” characterized by racism, capitalism and totalitarianism. He called what Israel was doing to Palestinians a “genocide.” And he described the ideology of the “empire” as the animating force behind the pursuit of supremacy, control, and violence.
Although they make up only about 2 percent of the population in the West Bank, these Christians have been in the Holy Land for generations. They have experienced the ravages of oppression, harassment, and death firsthand.
Christians in Palestine are witnesses.
Whatever your political beliefs, if you are a Christian, your sisters and brothers in the faith are suffering. Will we weep with those who weep? Will we heed their voices or only those of our preferred political partisans?
This Christmas is a time to remember that when Christ came to earth he did not come with earthly riches but into a world of rubble.
Quotes from “Christ in the Rubble”
“To our European friends, I never, ever want to hear you lecture us on human rights or international law again. And I mean this.”
“In the shadow of the empire they turn the colonizer into the victim and the colonized into the oppressor.”
“We are outraged by the complicity of the church…Silence is complicity.”
“If we as Christians are not outraged by the genocide, by the weaponization of the Bible to justify it, there is something wrong with our Christian witness and we are compromising the credibility of our Christian message.”
“We will rise. We will stand up again from the midst of destruction as we have always done as Palestinians…But for those who are complicit, I feel sorry for you. Will you ever recover from this?”
“In our pain, anguish, and lament we have searched for God, and found him under the rubble in Gaza.”
“The majesty of the incarnation lies in its solidarity with the marginalized.”
They sing about the Prince of Peace in their land while playing the drum of war in our land.”
Stop this genocide now! This is our call, this is our plea, this is our prayer.”
The Rev. Munther’s sermon starts at 28:30, and feel free to watch the entire service.
The group, Red Letter Christians, is raising funds for relief organizations in Gaza by selling prints of “Christ in the Rubble” by artist, Kelly Latimore.
“Our hope is that this icon, “Christ in the Rubble” will create more dialogue among Christians in the United States during this holy season about the ways our beliefs and actions – or lack thereof – contribute to the violence we’re currently witnessing in Gaza.”
Get your print HERE.
What is the meaning of “Christ in the rubble” for you this Christmas season? Share your thoughts below.
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Thank you for posting this. How different this Christmas season sermon is from ours. We speak of peace. And these Palestinian Christians speak of genocide and ethnic cleansing. We do pray but we must also act to make our congressmen and women aware of our views. We are aiding in the killing of our Christian brothers and sisters in Christ and have used the Bible to defend it. God, we repent and promise to do better. Have mercy on those everywhere who call themselves Christians. We will not be complicit by our silence.
Thank you for this. It is a deeply moving sermon. I think the message of Christ amid this devastation is hope. And the message should be for us to act -- to give, to help, to write to our representative and call for a stop to the genocide.