Advancing the stories and ideas of the kingdom of God.
Photo essay by Andrew Faulk
A photo essay highlights thousands of pilgrims observing Christmas in the quiet highland town of Lalibela.
Pilgrims make their way in and out of Biete Medhane Alem (House of the Saviour of the World), the largest of the monolithic churches in Lalibela.
Each January, as Christmas is observed on the Ethiopian Orthodox calendar, the population of the quiet highland town of Lalibela swells with thousands of pilgrims. They arrive from farming villages, market towns, bustling cities, and distant provinces—some walking for days or weeks along dusty roads and others arriving by bus before climbing the last steep miles on foot. All come for Genna, the celebration of Christ’s birth, and to worship at one of Ethiopia’s most revered holy sites.
Lalibela’s medieval churches, carved directly from volcanic rock in the 12th and 13th centuries under King Lalibela, were created as a “new Jerusalem” for those unable to travel to the Holy Land. Each is hewn as a monolith, and they are connected by narrow passageways, trenches, and dimly lit tunnels. The most iconic, Biete Ghiorgis, takes the form of a cross cut deep into the earth—its walls descending into shadow while its roof levels with the surrounding ground.
In the cool mountain air, pilgrims wrapped in white cotton shammas press into the complex’s winding entrances. They bow to kiss stone thresholds, kneel on uneven floors worn smooth by centuries of devotion, and gather in candlelit chambers where chants echo off carved walls. The rituals are both communal and personal—moments of reverence link them to prior generations.
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For many, the pilgrimage is a rare journey away from the demands of life, a chance to gather with family, friends, and strangers in shared worship. Here, the Christmas story is not only told and preached from the mountainsides but also felt—in stone, in song, and in the footsteps of faith.
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Photo by Andrew Faulkk
The distinct cruciform structure of Biete Ghiorgis is one of 11 churches around Lalibela that are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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Photo by Andrew Faulk
Pilgrims navigate between the monolithic church sites in Lalibela through narrow passageways hewn from volcanic rock.
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Photo by Andrew Faulk
Pilgrims make their way in and out of Biete Medhane Alem (House of the Saviour of the World), the largest of the monolithic churches in Lalibela.
As we enter the holiday season, we consider how the places to which we belong shape us—and how we can be the face of welcome in a broken world. In this issue, you’ll read about how a monastery on Patmos offers quiet in a world of noise and, from Ann Voskamp, how God’s will is a place to find home. Read about modern missions terminology in our roundtable feature and about an astrophysicist’s thoughts on the Incarnation. Be sure to linger over Andy Olsen’s reported feature “An American Deportation” as we consider Christian responses to immigration policies. May we practice hospitality wherever we find ourselves.
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Kyle Dugdale
Review
Matt Reynolds
Matthew Hirt
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Daniel Silliman
Lanier Ivester
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John G. Turner
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Rick Ostrander
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Brian Key
Text by Ann Voskamp and Photos by Esther Havens
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Mark D. Bjelland
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