Shahinda Nassar on Living in Bethlehem in the Meantime

What does it mean to “live in the meantime” in Bethlehem—during the Christmas season, in the shadow of war, restriction, and profound uncertainty? In this moving conversation, Stephen Bauman welcomes Shahinda Nassar, Director of the Advancement Office at Bethlehem University, for a firsthand look at daily life in Palestine from a Christian Palestinian mother raising three children steps from the Church of the Nativity.Shahinda shares the beauty and ache of celebrating “three Christmases” in Bethlehem, the reality of permits and checkpoints, and what it feels like to be treated like a stranger in your own homeland. She reflects on the vanishing Christian presence in the Holy Land, the importance of interfaith community between Christians and Muslims, and why pilgrimages that “visit the stones” must also engage the living people of the land.The conversation closes with a hopeful, grounded invitation: to listen to local voices, to learn the lived reality behind the holy sites, and to support education as a path toward dignity and staying rooted—especially through the mission of Bethlehem University.Chapters:00:00:00 — Welcome + Introducing Shahinda Nassar (Bethlehem University)00:00:54 — Epiphany, Orthodox Christmas Eve, and “Three Christmases” in Bethlehem00:02:26 — Shahinda’s story: Jerusalem, Beit Sahour, and life beside holy places00:04:20 — “Life here is hard”: celebrating Christmas amid war and grief00:05:38 — The vanishing Christian presence in the Holy Land00:08:17 — Settlers, occupation, and misconceptions about Bethlehem and Palestinians00:13:16 — Permits, magnetic cards, and the daily restrictions on movement00:21:02 — First family visit to Jerusalem: checkpoints, fear, and sacred longing00:28:28 — “Visit the living stones”: pilgrimage, solidarity, and being seen00:35:12 — Muslim-Christian community, raising children, and why Bethlehem University matters Get full access to Living in the Meantime at livinginthemeantime.substack.com/subscribe