Bethlehem GA - Big White Church Christmas Scene Rained Out

'If Jesus were to come this year, Bethlehem would be closed' | World news | guardian.co.uk

A Palestinian shepherd watches his flock near the Israeli settlement of Har Homa, near Bethlehem. Photograph: Abir Sultan/EPA

If Joseph and Mary were making their way to Bethlehem today, the Christmas story would be a little different, says Father Ibrahim Shomali, a parish priest in the town. The couple would struggle to get into the city, let alone find a hotel room.

"If Jesus were to come this year, Bethlehem would be closed," says the priest of Bethlehem's Beit Jala parish. "He would either have to be born at a checkpoint or at the separation wall. Mary and Joseph would have needed Israeli permission – or to have been tourists.
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The faithful also flock to Bethlehem, GA - and not just to get their Christmas cards stamped at our local post office. Every year, for about 49 years, on December 22nd and 23rd, at 7pm and 8pm each night, Bethlehem United Methodist Church, AKA 'the big white church', outs on a nativity scene and retelling of the classic story at the corner of Star St. and Christmas Ave in downtown Bethlehem, GA.

This year, it poured rain, puddles half a foot deep. Who knows? Maybe it was the presence last year of Barrow County Cops who sat for 2 hours with their blue lights flashing off the sheperds and angels for absolutely no reason. I think they were there to direct traffic, but when the show ended and traffic cleared out, they just sat there. Maybe GOD didn't like that..................

Will it rain for tonight's show? Only time will tell. Only GOD knows...............................