To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.
~ Ecclesiastes 3:1
A Kind of Hush Over Bethlehem
Rev. Berry Behr, Interfaith Minister
Christmas was canceled in Bethlehem this year.
Tens of thousands of lives have been lost in brutal 2023 wars. It seems as if the hatred has no end. There could be no place for celebration in Bethlehem during this season of mourning. Does that mean we lost hope?
Hope recognizes the possibility of transcending the darkness and emerging into the light, but first, we must complete our grieving. In Africa, a bereaved person may sit under a blanket and wail, giving voice and freedom to the fullness of their emotion. Jewish people may rend their clothes, Buddhists pray and chant for 49 days, and Muslims will carry their dead on raised arms to the burial ground after praying and preparing the body of their departed loved one. Mostly, in the West, we just square our shoulders and get on with life. This is no longer an option. None of us is exempt from the burden of grief that fills the earth. The heaviness is overwhelming. Threat lurks everywhere. Seasons change, but what will our next season bring?
The old year has effectively ended, and the New Year has not yet begun. The pause invites a deepening. EDL’s interfaith team is preparing for 7 Days of Rest, an online event to mindfully and collectively envision “Reweaving Wholeness” in 2024. Just before Christmas, we celebrated Solstice, when Yule in the North signifies emerging from the darkness of winter towards the returning sun, and Litha in the South embraces the fullness of summer, now turning toward shorter days. In our world, nothing happens in isolation.
What if we all took this liminal time to meditate on peace, building a picture in our minds and hearts of a unified world beyond conflict, violence, and separation? Magic starts in our minds. We choose what we think about and give energy to. Whether we meditate deeply, pray, or fast, the quality of our imagining in these days will impact the quality of the year ahead. Together, we are contributing to the co-creation of the new year. Let’s try to make our next season kind to everyone.
We would love to have you join us for 7 Days of Rest. Click here!
About Open Windows
We, the authors of this blog, dedicate it to the transparent exploration of the world’s sacred scripture and enlightened spiritual thought. We believe that the original inspiration of all faiths comes from a common source, named and revered in a myriad of ways. With that understanding, the innumerable symbols, beliefs, and practices of faith cease to divide. They become open windows to a common reality that inspires and unifies us. We find deeper insight and nourishment in our own faith and from the expression of faith from others.
We hope these weekly quotations and meditations speak to your heart and soul.
What if we all took this liminal time to meditate on peace, building a picture in our minds and hearts of a unified world beyond conflict, violence, and separation? Magic starts in our minds. We choose what we think about and give energy to. Whether we meditate deeply, pray, or fast, the quality of our imagining in these days will impact the quality of the year ahead. Together, we are contributing to the co-creation of the new year. Let’s try to make our next season kind to everyone.
Yes!!! Bringing Joy to the World through our belief in co-creation together!!!
Thank you, Berry. Peace within leads to peace without … As above, so below. WITH YOU. Love, Tom
Jerry Kvasnicka
10 months ago
Though grieving seems to be the order of the day in Bethlehem and throughout much of the Middle East, we nevertheless celebrate Life in this last sacred week of the year, knowing that our celebration will flow through our consciousness into the mass consciousness of the body of humanity, injecting Love, Truth, Life and Peace into that body.
laurence Mendes
10 months ago
The words “For everything there is a season” etc became a song called “Turn, Turn, Turn.” I am shaking and quaking with spiritual pregnancy. My whole being overflowing with Life, with compassion for those in war, in I’ll health, poverty, and hunger. I fully vision on my role come 2024. Turn, means change and practical repentance and forgiveness for me. May I reweave wholeness, one stitch at a time in the reality of Love. Profound gratitude. L
So beautiful Berry –
What if we all took this liminal time to meditate on peace, building a picture in our minds and hearts of a unified world beyond conflict, violence, and separation? Magic starts in our minds. We choose what we think about and give energy to. Whether we meditate deeply, pray, or fast, the quality of our imagining in these days will impact the quality of the year ahead. Together, we are contributing to the co-creation of the new year. Let’s try to make our next season kind to everyone.
Yes!!! Bringing Joy to the World through our belief in co-creation together!!!
Thank you, Berry. Peace within leads to peace without … As above, so below. WITH YOU. Love, Tom
Though grieving seems to be the order of the day in Bethlehem and throughout much of the Middle East, we nevertheless celebrate Life in this last sacred week of the year, knowing that our celebration will flow through our consciousness into the mass consciousness of the body of humanity, injecting Love, Truth, Life and Peace into that body.
The words “For everything there is a season” etc became a song called “Turn, Turn, Turn.” I am shaking and quaking with spiritual pregnancy. My whole being overflowing with Life, with compassion for those in war, in I’ll health, poverty, and hunger. I fully vision on my role come 2024. Turn, means change and practical repentance and forgiveness for me. May I reweave wholeness, one stitch at a time in the reality of Love. Profound gratitude. L