Refugees Photo | TrekEarth

Photographer’s Note

Sacred to both Christians and Moslems the milk Grotto in Bethlehem is a shrine to one of the most famous female refugees the world has ever seen. It was here that Mary stopped to feed the infant Jesus (to stop him crying?) as the family fled from Bethlehem to Egypt to escape the massacre of the innocents.

It is ironic timing for me to be here in this place as over a million people are being displaced from their homes just 70 miles or so north of here - thousands of others cower in shelters and basements and hundreds of innocents are being slaughtered as acceptable collateral damage. Mincing no words here - the statement of the man responsible for determining the ethics of the IDF Judged that there was a justifiable head count of innocents for every terrorist (enemy) concentration as long as the numbers were not too large (!?)......Hezbollah no doubt have their own warped ethic on this too - it is acceptable to terrorise a civilian population and kill the odd one or two here and there as long as we have the desired impact in making our point.......

Compare this modern warfare to the deliberate and evil intentions of Herod in ordering the massacre of every newborn - have we come a long way!?

The Grotto is used by new, expectant and lactating mothers to pray for a good milk supply - it is said that Mary spilt some of her milk in the cave and this is what gives it a milky appearance. I went back to the grotto after everyone had left and as the priest was locking it up for the night - there were no lights and as I explored it for something I thought I had lost there was a profound sense of a 'presence' about the place.

Difficult lighting of course but I managed this first time.

Betty, isabela_sor, sabyasachi1212, gabrielpat, Ferrus, PJE, bantonbuju, everlasting, AnimeshRay has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

isabela_sor (42150) 2006-08-12 5:58

Incredible note,your message and photo are symbolical...I like much the idea...In that area actually, things are getting worst every day...offfff

sabyasachi1212 (19546) 2006-08-12 6:07

Hi Kev,
Under low lights you have done a wonderful work. The image is beautiful but what is even better is your note. Well Done!
I have done a WS. There is ofcourse nothing wrong with this, but just to get a different POV. Hope you like it.
With Greetings from India
Sabyasachi

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gabrielpat (6551) 2006-08-12 9:05

hi kev,
very very very well seen.

MiguelP (14324) 2006-08-12 18:43

I told it before, but I really thinks so: A palestian mother cry the lost of a child in the same way it would do it another one of Israel. I mean, above nacionalities and religions we all have something in commun: HUMANITY. Very touchfull note and photo for the time being. Today I´ve seen a plane bound to Manchester from Catania with the passengers boarding with transparent plastic bags in their hand. And I though: "Where the world is going to?".
I love the intimacy of the light of the flowers. I´m not a religious person, but I think this photo is very touchfull.

PJE (19437) 2006-08-12 22:03

Well Kev I have been following this crisis on the internet and through the media. From what I have gathered there seems to be no grounds for an easy solution to all this killing. I wonder how the Israelites can negotiate with those who believe that Israel should not even exist? I would have to agree that we have returned to the days of Herod.
Very interesting atmosphere and as you mentioned a profound sense of presence exudes in this scene.

everlasting (10898) 2006-08-13 8:17

History teaches us nothing.........
While many people in this world are not in the luxury postion of being politically aware or minded, have a hard enough time just putting food on the table and making it through the day, those few in power very often, put the meagre existence of its countrymen in jeopardy.
Technically outstanding, topically superb.

bantonbuju (48626) 2006-08-14 0:35

i can imagine your heart bleeding out there in palestine, and i can imagine how hopeless a man can feel being there and seeing all those things, all the emotions, finally tangible while being there...
this is all about emotions, this series, and staying away from political issues (which is hard, if possible at all) we should concentrate on the artistic values of the images, imho;
it is practically impossible to pick up any of the photo(s) from the series and classify as less important in the whole set, each and every of them are so different and so crucial;
this one is to me a symbol of the christian world, so busy with its own little businesses that the things happening in the middle east do not come to our world (surely one may say its a silly interpretation but i cant help reading this image in this way)
tc, j.

AnimeshRay (8886) 2006-08-14 0:59

Very beautiful and simple compostion of this historical site. Thoughtful and poingnant note.

pablogent (12) 2006-08-26 14:54

Ween Kevin???......So that's where you were all that time. We thought you had been locked in. Beautiful photo, inspires me to pop a sheqal for a candle and contemplate a bit over an agile. Salaam al-masada bikinikum