Belen mayor, Bethlehem innkeeper share name
Jerah Cordova sees special role in protecting city’s Nativity scene
BELEN — Some believe in destiny, while others think life is filled with simple coincidences, but for Maria Alicia Cordova, she knows her son was elected mayor for a reason.
Like any expecting mother, Maria Alicia searched for that perfect name for her second child. It was nearly 32 years ago, but she remembers discovering the name in the December issue of McCall’s magazine.
“I was looking for names and it was the Christmas before he was born,” Maria Alicia remembers. “My first son is named Micah, which is a book in the Bible, and I wanted to keep to the same biblical theme.
“I was reading this story and I found the name Jerah and it just flowed,” she said. “I loved the name, Jerah, but I had never heard the name before.”
Little did she know that 31 years later, her son, Jerah, would be elected mayor, much less tasked with defending what a lot of people in Belen — Bethlehem — believe to be a symbol of their heritage, history and faith.
The story in the magazine, “The Woman at the Inn” by Carolyn Jerauld, is about an innkeeper in the town of Bethlehem named Jerah and his wife, Anna. When the young couple, Mary and Joseph, arrived, looking for a bed to lay and possibly give birth, Jerah and Anna saw something special in the wanderers. The inn was full, but Jerah and Anna offered them their manger.
Cordova always knew the meaning of his name, which is Hebrew for moon. It wasn’t until earlier this year that he was reminded of the significance of the name and how it relates to the circumstances of today.
It was in July when Cordova received a letter from the Wisconsin-based group, Freedom From Religion Foundation, which claimed the metal sculpture Nativity scene on city-owned property was unconstitutional, saying it violates the separation of church and state.
“We get into the summer of this year when the Nativity issue starts to kick up; we get the letter, the story is in the newspaper and everywhere else, we had a rally,” Cordova says. “It was sometime after all the chaos of those initial days that my mom called me and reminded me of the story.”
Maria Alicia said she thought it was ironic, but that everyone has a purpose.
“I feel like this is his purpose, to protect that little Nativity in town because it’s part of who we are — our culture, our history. It’s very important to this community. Belen is Bethlehem, plain and simple.”
When Cordova was reminded by his mother of the origin of his name, he was a bit taken aback.
“I don’t think there’s one word that characterizes accurately how I felt when I was reminded that my name had a very important role in the traditional telling of the birth of Jesus,” Cordova said. “It was certainly a surprise and it was heartening in a lot of ways. It was one of those moments that you have to stop in your tracks and take a little bit of time to think about what it means.”
Cordova was raised in the Catholic Church, received all of his sacraments and even went to St. Mary’s school for three years.
Admitting he’s not the “best” Catholic, he knows and understands the significance of the Nativity scene and what it means to him and to the community.
Cordova says the Nativity scene issue always has been about Belen’s history and traditions, and what it means to the name of the town and its people.
“I think people in Belen look at the Nativity and put their own meaning on it, and all the meanings are important,” he said. “Some see it purely in a historical context with the name of Belen meaning Bethlehem. Others see it as a tradition that has been carried on for 275 years, and others, particularly in the faith community, hold very strongly in its value in Christianity.”
Cordova also admits that this is a moment in his life when he’s had to consider the depths of his own spirituality, and with realizing his name is closely tied to the birth of Christ, the fight for the Nativity scene means just that much more to him.
“I think there’s a reason why I’m in the position of mayor right now when this issue has come up,” he says. “I think there’s a significant role for me to play in the protection of an incredibly important symbol in the community.”