The Bethlehem Spirituality
We draw our spirituality from the sources of the word of God, from liturgy and tradition and from our experience of the faith.
The name of 'Bethlehem' stands for a spirituality inspired by the Incarnation of Jesus (cf.Phil 2:6-11). We translate it into concrete terms in the following fundamental philosophy.
Discover the mission vision statement of 1988, which outlines Bethlehem spirituality through its historically developed elements.
The Spirit of Childhood
The Child, with his great trust in his parents, is the model for the boundless confidence which Jesus expressed in the word ‚Abba‘. This attitude helps us to survive grave difficulties and even overcome failure.
The Spirit of Simplicity
Openness for the Gospel frees us from concern and fear for ourselves. It liberates us for service to others. In this way we attain to the love which stems from God and which is at the core of the Gospel. It manifests itself in sincerity, transparency, objectivity, straightforwardness without guile and ambiguity.
The Spirit of Renunciation
We are prepared to dispense with familiar securities and become involved with people of different cultures, religions and levels of society. We let ourselves be guided by the Spirit of God who speaks through them. We strive for modesty in the use of material means. We make it a point neither to create one-sided dependencies nor to lay claim to power.
The Spirit of Missionary Presence
The most important witness to our faith is our personal life; for “what we are says more than what we speak”. We try to be present even in difficult situations, and to remain among the poor and those who have been deprived of their rights.
The Spirit of Fellowship
Our witness will be essentially shaped by the way in which we deal with one another. In our relationships, as in those among brothers and sisters and partners, we experience both loving care and a challenge. We strive to achieve a climate of forgiveness and confidence, which enables us to bear better with human limitations and renders our work more fruitful. We are on the way together with believers of other churches and with all people who, in loyalty to their religions or their convictions, engage themselves for a world in which the fullness of life will be possible for everybody. In doing so we understand ourselves as equal partners, independent of individual situations of life and of cultural or religious backgrounds.
The Spirit of solidarity
Connectedness with all people.
