Greek Orthodox and Armenian priests and monks came to blows during preparations for Orthodox Christmas celebrations
Glory to God in the highest heaven,Fighting between Christian sects has a long history, more's the pity. Sad, very sad, to see the fight in the Church of the Nativity and a very poor witness to Jesus' words:
and on earth peace among those whom he favors!
By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.’H/T to Juan Cole at Informed Comment, who says:
The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem has now seen its annual brawl between Armenian and Eastern Orthodox priests, who are jointly responsible for its administration. Police of the Palestine Authority broke it up but made no arrests because the pugilists are “men of God.”PRAYER FOR PEACE
Somehow you get a sense that Jesus of Nazareth would not have approved of his own followers coming to fisticuffs over his birthplace. Wasn’t there something about turning the other cheek? Wouldn’t the Christian thing to do be to abandon one’s claims to the physical site and devote oneself to the spiritual meaning of it?
Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but the strength of love: So mightily spread abroad your Spirit, that all your peoples may be gathered under the banner of the Prince of Peace, as children of one Father; to whom be dominion and glory, through Jesus Christ, Our Lord, now and for ever. Amen.
I think this has actually become part of the liturgical life of the place, like Kafka's leopards.
ReplyDelete"Leopards break into the temple and drink to the dregs what is in the sacrificial pitchers; this is
repeated over and over again; finally it can be calculated in advance, and it becomes a part of
the ceremony." -- Franz Kafka, Leopards in the Temple
Somehow you get a sense that Jesus of Nazareth would not have approved of his own followers coming to fisticuffs over his birthplace.
ReplyDeleteNot to mention killing each other in the millions over many centuries of European wars ('Christian' against 'Christian'), culminating of course in WW1 and WW2...
Tobias, you made me laugh.
ReplyDeleteTim, too true.
Tobias,
ReplyDeleteLike the Zen story of "Cat in the Closet" meditation.
Mimi,
I think I get it, now - the disciples misheard, and Christ was warning about the dangers of sects not sex.
Sects and violence, sects and violence, it's all that's on the altar, these days.
...sects not sex.
ReplyDeleteMark, I think you may be right! And you made me laugh, too. It's all about sects...which, if you think about it, is all too true.