TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Christmas in Bethlehem: A symbol of solidarity and love
Bethlehem embodies the spirit of solidarity, emphasizing unity, compassion and kindness.
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
A Christian worshipper visits the Church of the Nativity on Dec. 17, 2024, in the biblical city of Bethlehem, in the occupied West Bank. (AFP/Ahmad Gharabli)
C
hristmas commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem more than 2000 years ago. The joy of Jesus’ birth colors the world on Christmas Day.
Symbols and decorations for Christmas are not only liturgical, but also have economic, social and cultural aspects. Christmas ornaments not only decorate churches, but also corners of public spaces, even in Indonesia, the country with the largest Muslim population in the world.
Although some groups in certain regions raise the question each year about whether Muslims are allowed to say Christmas greetings, and some even reject the holding of Christmas celebrations, in general, Christmas celebrations become a celebration of society. The Christmas atmosphere is lively in various places, both in the form of decorative symbols and Christmas songs that are heard everywhere.
It is interesting that on Christmas 2024, the Joint Christmas Message delivered by the Indonesian Bishops’ Conference (KWI) and the Communion of Indonesian Churches (PGI) took the theme, “Let us now go to Bethlehem...” This message is biblically derived from the Christmas narrative story proclaimed by St. Luke in his Gospel.
In his Gospel, St. Luke describes the first Christmas event as marked by the presence of angels to the shepherds who said, “Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you, who is the Messiah, the Lord” (Luke 2:11). Upon hearing the good news, the shepherds immediately got up, left their flocks and shouted, “Let us now go to Bethlehem...,” and walked together to find the birthplace of Jesus. They found the baby Jesus lying in a manger.
In Christian biblical tradition, shepherds are a symbol of the poor and simple people who put their hope for salvation in God. They are often seen as marginalized. However, they were the first people chosen by God to receive the good news of salvation.
Their readiness and willingness to respond to the news of salvation are an example for us so that we too hurry to walk together to meet Jesus. After meeting Jesus, the shepherds experienced a renewal of their lives and attitudes. They became optimistic individuals and joyfully “praised and glorified God” (Luke 2:20).
