Bethlehem with Dad and Ted

This is how you walk into Bethlehem, unless you take a tour bus. 

We are not the tourist bus types so we walked in. Talk about another world, night and day behind the wall and in front of it. You can instantly tell there must be no economy because we were hassled by cabbies to the tenth degree. I consider myself someone who has been hassled by cabbies, but this was outrageous. Then you can walk, long walk, or take a cab into the area with all the churches and Jesus sites. We walked some of the way and took photos of the crazy amounts of graffiti on the Palestinian side. There is no graffiti on the Israeli side. 

You may recognize this woman from an earlier post.

Raaarrrrrrrrrr.

Corner piece.

Best ever.

Lots of the artwork was done by visitors and peace groups. 

Well I am making that assumption because the names were not Arab at all.

Many of the pieces were huge.

The wall does not cut straight, it curves and, sometimes even seeming to cut into a house or building. 

Very weird, what's wrong with straight lines?

I realized my photos from Bethlehem and Israel seem as if  I could care less about the historical and religious importance of the area. The truth is I don't really attach much importance to a church/mosque/synagogue where someone, supposedly walked, left a foot print, carried something, or ascended to heaven. Call me a heathen. 

Although I don't subscribe to a church or single religion a heartfelt display of faith, in a loving and peaceful manner does cast a shimmering ray of hope into your soul. Dad pointed out a group of visitors walking the stations of the cross route and as he did they began to sing a hymnal. Gorgeous. The groups of young soldiers, families, and students singing  as they passed us walking home for the Sabbath dinner. Beautiful. The glow in dark crucifixes, endless Koran verses on metal plating, and the Stars of Davids seemed paltry and pathetic in comparison to the real life expressions of faith and love.