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In 1330, the priory was changed into a hospital. In 1547, 300 years after its founding in London, King Henry VIII had come to the throne in England and had made himself the head of the church. He confiscated the property of the priory that had been associated in the minds of the people with Bethlehem, and Henry the VIII turned the facility into a lunatic asylum.
In the street cockney language of the day, the people found it difficult to pronounce properly “Bethlehem” so the word “Bethlehem” became corrupted and entered the English language as “Bedlam.” Bedlam: confusion, irrationality, noise, bedlam!
As Rev. Bill Wilson, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Waynesboro, has commented, “From Bethlehem to Bedlam. Most understand how short the distance is between the two. In the cultural press of the season, our good intentions of filling the days with meaning quickly give way to settling for survival.” Most of us cao identify with that scenario. Let us bring some sanity to our Christmas celebration by remembering the words of the Psalmist many years ago, “Be still and know that I am God.” May each of us give time this Christmas to pray for more peace, hope and love in our world. Let us do it in honor of the child whose birthday we celebrate, Jesus of Nazareth, the true Prince of Peace.
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