Bethlehem in Claremont?

This Christmas I decided to paint in the deep shade of the the huge tree on the vineyard/cavendish road intersection, about 400m from our church.  My second picture was a picture of modern day Bethlehem with all its air conditioning units:)

Various friends (like Andrew here) stopped to encourage me - note the cappucino cup and the smoothie cup!  THanks guys.

But the highlights were the several conversations I had with various people about Bethlehem and Christmas. Sitting quietly amongst the manic rush of high-summer Christmas time is a message in itself; but the re-direct of attention that comes through the word and image "bethlehem" is also powerful.

From the poor woman selling Big Issue magazines at the robots (traffic lights), to the rasta men drifting past in a cloud of dagga-smoke, the mother with a baby in a blanket on her back looking for a doctor, to the people who have travelled as tourists to Bethlehem and the store owners; from fascinated toddlers to the Thai woman on holiday with her German boyfriend...it was my great privilege to sit on the street day after day leading up to Christmas telling and retelling the story!

Tiring, yes; but great fun.