Yesterday I crouched down to about half my height to enter through the Door of Humility at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem and I have never been more humbled in my life. The door was created this way to force everyone who entered to bow down in humility and reverence. This church marks the very spot where Jesus Christ is believed to have been born, a place that thousands from around the world visit each year to honour Christ, celebrate their faith and connect with one of the oldest stories ever told. To say that it was special is an understatement. To describe what I felt would be impossible.
The structure itself is maintained by three religious denominations of the Christian faith: Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Armenian Apostolic. When you enter, it’s really like two side-by-side churches but down below, down a narrow stone staircase is a grotto. It is here, in this small, dark space where Jesus is believed to have been born, the exact spot marked by a fourteen-point silver star that is touched and kissed by pilgrims from all over the world. The impact it had on me was profound, an experience that will last a lifetime. I would love to one day attend midnight mass on Christmas Eve here.
Lori
January 5, 2010 at 2:37 pm (15 years ago)Actually, the Door of Humility was not created for that purpose. If you look at pictures, the door has been downsized 2 or 3 times over the centuries. It was made to the size it is now to keep people from riding horses and driving carts into the church, specifically marauders.
See this link:
http://www.nativity-church.com/Nativity-history.htm
I was just there in November and found it profoundly uplifting also.
Cheers,
Lori