Bethlehem Field Trip

On Monday we went to Bethlehem for our field trip. We started out by going to Herodian, one of Herod’s palaces. It is strategically located on top of a mountain and you can see Bethlehem and Jerusalem from the top.

After lunch we went to the Church of the Nativity that is the oldest continuously operated Christian church in the world. It is the site that is traditionally considered to be located over the cave where Christ was born. We waited in line for almost two hours to see the grotto. I have to admit that I thought that kneeling at the grotto would be a powerful spiritual experience for me, but it wasn’t. It was super stressful because there were so many people trying to take pictures and I don’t really like crowds, so for me that wasn’t the best combination.

The Grotto

For me, the spiritual part came at the Shepherd’s Field, which is basically just a field within eyeshot of the Church of the Nativity. We don’t know if it was the actual field where the angel appeared to the shepherd’s but it was good enough for me! We sang lots of Christmas hymns and then had solo time to ponder, write in our journals, and read the scriptures.

Shepherd's Field with Bethlehem in the background

From where we were sitting we could see Herodian looming in the distance to the left and the Church of the Nativity to our right. Brother Judd talked to us about the two kings we’ve learned a lot about since being in Jerusalem: Herod and Jesus Christ. How different they are! Herod was selfish and jealous while Christ was humble and loving. Herod built palaces for his own comfort and leisure whereas Christ built up the people around him. Herod’s tomb is currently smashed to bit whereas Christ’s tomb is sacred and revered. Herod aside, I learned a lot about Christ while I was sitting there. I know that he was born in the most humble of places and was the most righteous and powerful being to ever walk this Earth. I know that He was born in Bethlehem.

I’ve learned something about shepherds: they live humble, simple lives. This probably enabled them to be in tune with the spirit and receptive to the message of the angel. I can imagine the shepherds going about the business one night, looking at the stars, probably pondering about life, and then an angel appeared to them and told them the glorious news that their Messiah had come in to the world not far from where they were. Just as I knelt at the grotto today, they knelt at the manger of our Lord and Savior. When the angle appeared to them they were afraid, as I’m sure I would’ve been in that situation. But they went with HASTE (Luke 2:16). How anxious are we to find the Savior? Everyday I become more and more anxious as I learn of His goodness, mercy, and love. My friend Mary Bennion taught me something: the shepherds left the 99 sheep to find the One. Cool huh? When the shepherds returned, they glorified and praised God for all the things they had seen and heard (Luke 2:20). I will do the same—I have been blessed to hear and see astonishing things. I wish that I could’ve captured that moment—I felt completely at peace. Nothing else mattered to me while I completely soaked in that feeling. Christ is the center of my life.