10. A very small door...

By Annette Osborne -

Now: These photos are taken of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem; the place some people think is where Jesus was born. It is the oldest Church in Israel that is still used, and one of the oldest churches in the world. The church is actually several churches connected together. You can see how they look different.I wonder which one is your favourite and why?

 
 

The door into the church is called the door of humility.  That’s because it is so small you have to bend down to go through it.  It was made smaller by the Crusaders during the Middle Ages to stop mounted horsemen riding into the church. In the photo on the left you can see the outline of where an older doorway was.
   


Something to think about:
People build churches as a place to meet together with other Christians and to meet with God. The decorations of the church help people to stop and be calm, to think and pray.  One of the churches in the photos is dark, another church is light. This tells us that people find different ways to connect with God. Which church do you think would help you to connect to God, to feel like God is close by you?

Episode Eleven...

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