Di Road Go Bethlehem

Dust for dia leg. Hills for dia front. One young woman stop, one hand for her back, di other one for her big belle, and she draw deep breath. Bethlehem still far.

Di emperor Augustus don order registration, and everybody must go dia family home town make dem count dem. For most people, e be wahala. For Joseph, e mean long journey. E dey live for Nazareth, one village for di green hills of Galilee, for di north. But Joseph family line go reach King David. And David town na Bethlehem, far for di south for Judea, small distance pass Jerusalem. So Joseph must go there. And e no go alone.

Luke tell am simple. Joseph comot from Galilee, from di town of Nazareth, go Judea, to di town of David wey dem dey call Bethlehem, because e come from di house and family of David. E go register with Mary, di woman wey e promise to marry, wey belle don big. Luke no tell us why Mary come. Maybe she sef need to register. Maybe Joseph no wan leave her for village where people fit dey talk. Whichever way, dem start di journey together, and di baby don almost reach time.

Imagine di road. Plenty paintings show Mary for donkey back, and even though Luke no mention donkey, family fit take one animal to carry dia load. Di road dey go up and down, over stony hills and through valleys. Afternoon dey hot, night dey cold. Other travellers dey too, all of dem dey go dia own towns, dem dey share well and fire for night. Every step go hard for Mary. She go dey feel di baby dey kick. Joseph go dey watch her, e go slow down when she need am, e go find water, e go look for safe place every night.

And maybe, as dem dey waka, dem talk about everything wey don happen. Di angel wey come meet Mary. Di dream wey come to Joseph. Elizabeth joy. Di names wey God give dem: Jesus, di Lord dey save. Emmanuel, God dey with us. Two ordinary people for ordinary road, dey do wetin government tell dem. Yet na di promise of all di ages dem carry. And at last, from di top of one hill, dem go see am: di small town of Bethlehem, where David once dey look after im papa sheep.

How long di journey take? Di Jewish historian Josephus, wey write later for di first century, talk say person wey dey travel fast fit reach Jerusalem from Galilee for three days, if e follow di road wey pass Samaria. Bethlehem dey small distance after, for south. With woman wey belle don big well well, Joseph and Mary go likely travel slow pass dat one.

Di road go Bethlehem dey Luke chapter two, verse four and five. Just two verses, but behind dem, many days of waka, waiting and trust. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. When di road for your front be like say e long and e hard, who dey waka am with you, and how you fit help another person for im own road?