CPTnet
20 November 2007
BETHLEHEM REFLECTION: "No way to the inn"; Childbirth and Occupation

by Lorne Friesen

Jesus was born under the Roman Occupation. Some called it the "Pax Romana,"
claiming the imperial power brought peace to the whole world. Occupation,
then as well as now, meant that a powerful ruler controlled almost every
aspect of life for those under the empire's domination. Luke informs us
that the Occupation required Mary and Joseph to make a long and dangerous
journey to satisfy the dictates of the Occupying Power. Matthew tells us
that Herod ordered the slaughter of all infant boys born near the place and
time of Jesus' birth, so that he could preserve the power given him by the
Roman authorities.

Imagine the risks of pregnancy under the Roman Occupation. Caesar made his
decree, and so Mary and Joseph had to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem.
Many other pregnant women as well as Mary would have been making similar
journeys. The disruption in the lives of people would have been enormous.
And if the delivery was premature and the mother and child died en route,
Caesar would not have cared. The Israeli military Occupation of the West
Bank likewise places its own interests above the needs of the people under
its control. Soldiers have held up numerous mothers in labor at
checkpoints; some have given birth in the open fields or in their cars.
Mary gave birth in a distant community, far away from the traditional
midwife support that families usually provide. Occupation caused the birth
of Jesus to take place in crude circumstances with the numerous risks, among
the animals.

Today, travel in and out of Bethlehem is controlled by checkpoints in this
monstrous twenty-seven-foot high wall that snakes across the West Bank.
Checkpoints similar to international border terminals channels restrict
access in and out of Bethlehem. The Israeli government has made special
arrangements for tourists, so that their inconvenience will be minimal, but
most Palestinians find their travel severely hampered even in the case of
medical emergencies. They need special permits to travel the five miles to
Jerusalem. Many residents of Bethlehem have not been able to visit
Jerusalem for years.

May your reflections and meditations on the Nativity story help you find a
bond of solidarity with the countless people throughout the world whose
lives are controlled by powers that have little regard for their well-being.
We should remember that in Mary and Joseph's day and in ours, every
pregnancy is a mysterious God-sent challenge to imperial power. The power of
love and new life works outside the restrictions of Occupation.