Israel: Jesus walked here
A tour through the Bible and the latest headlines
by Amy MacLachlan
I spent eight exhausting days in the Holy Land as a guest of Israel’s Ministry of Tourism; a strategy of the government’s to balance the reporting on the country and hopefully to entice others to travel there. During our first dinner, at a restaurant in Tel Aviv, the ministry’s branch director of hosting operations, Benjamin-Gad Ninnayi, presented his case passionately: “Why look elsewhere? This country is a diamond, a treasure. There are beautiful things all over the world, but they can’t compare to Jerusalem.”
Palestine: Jesus was born here
A quick tour through the land of olives and lemons
by David Harris
If Mary and Joseph were to arrive in Bethlehem late at night to find all the local hotels full in 2005, Jesus would more likely have been born in the corner of a stone building or plaza.
Manger Square is a tiled acre with no mangers and no animals in sight. The rest of the town is slogan-painted almost white stone. Off to one side of the square is the Church of the Nativity, entered by the so-called Door of Humility, which requires one to stoop low to enter. (The door was blocked off in the 16th-century to keep the Ottomans from riding their horses into the church.)
Jerusalem: Christians, Jews, Muslims and a barrier
Looking for ways to creatively bring hope to all who live there
by Sandra Demson
The tantur ecumenical institute is situated on a hilltop overlooking Bethlehem, the road to Jerusalem, the Arab village Beit Safafa and the Jewish settlement Gilo. From its roof the security barrier being constructed by the Israeli government can be traced winding in and out around Bethlehem. Tantur is an ideal spot for Christians to come to learn about this land that is holy for Christians, Jews and Muslims alike. Tantur
Guatemala: Modernity and deterioration
The four-decade civil war continues to haunt the people
by Cynthia Carter
As I stepped off the plane into the sweltering humidity of Guatemala City, the realization that I had just entered a completely foreign world set in. Since my knowledge of the country was limited, I felt vulnerable being exposed to this different culture. Over the next 17 days, my mission group and I would come to an understanding of the beautiful yet controversial country of Guatemala.
The Caucasus: Old church meets new nation
Tripping across centuries to the heart of Christian orthodoxy
by Alex MacLeod
The man on the train from Tbilisi to Yerevan chatted away busily on his cell phone. He then turned with equal devotion to a laptop computer. But, when we struck up a conversation he was, like most Armenians, quick to define his country’s identity in terms of the past rather than some high-tech future. “Armenia is the oldest Christian nation in the world,” he announced with pride.
