'Tis the season for nativity sets.
Ours is on a desk in the parlor,
a souvenir of Israel carved from olive wood.
It reminds us why this season is called Christmas.
"Christ mass."
Our nativity set has the usual cast of characters...
Camels.
I like camels.
Growly stomachs.
Attitude.
Camels spit for fun
or for disdain
or maybe because there was a gross bug at the last oasis.
I like wise men.
Usually three
unless I hide one
or a wise penguin gets added to the entourage for a quartet.
Scripture says there were three gifts,
not necessarily three wise men.
The wise men were curious and they did something about it.
The wise men were also rebels.
King Herod told them to come back
and they said, "You're not the boss of me!"
But not to his face.
After all, they WERE wise men.
I like shepherds.
They took care of goofy little lambs
and took turns watching for lions
while others slept around the fire.
They knew the stars without using Google Sky.
I like angels, too,
though not lovely plastic lady angels.
In scripture
the angel was startling enough to terrify the shepherds.
(Shepherds in our children's pageant at church
get to scream when the angel appears.)
Those little baby cherub angels
are not Ezekiel's angels
with many wings and eyes
who announce
"Holy holy holy is the Lord God Almighty.
The whole earth is full of His glory!"
Perhaps Joseph is the least noticed,
but I like Joseph.
He held Mary's hand while she made strange noises.
It's never easy to watch someone you love suffer.
...and though the conception may have been immaculate,
the birth was probably not.
Thank you, Joseph,
for your janitorial abilities
and for being a role model for step fathers everywhere.
Nativity Mary.
She's usually dressed in blue and kneeling in prayer.
She doesn't look tired enough.
She just gave birth to her first child
and now there's company coming.
She really just wants to hold the baby and sleep.
But Baby Jesus makes me somewhat uncomfortable.
He is not what he seems.
His body is covered in swaddling clothes
and diapers
and drool,
but his eyes have overseen the creation of every species on earth.
His ears have heard the morning stars sing together.
His lips have spoken thunder.
His nostrils have smelled angel fire.
His hands and feet know what is coming in 33 years.
His tiny body
and this tiny planet
are holding the physical and metaphysical of the universe.
Voluntarily.
When we look into those baby eyes,
they look back into the hiding places in our memories,
into our past
and our future,
and those eyes love us,
every one.
Those eyes show the love that chained Almighty God
to a human body for a short lifetime.
For me.
For you.
May thoughts of the nativity be with you this Christmas season.
Many blessings,
Denny and Sue
Those eyes show the love that chained Almighty God
to a human body for a short lifetime.
For me.
For you.
May thoughts of the nativity be with you this Christmas season.
Many blessings,
Denny and Sue
Ours is on a desk in the parlor,
a souvenir of Israel carved from olive wood.
It reminds us why this season is called Christmas.
"Christ mass."
Our nativity set has the usual cast of characters...
Camels.
I like camels.
Growly stomachs.
Attitude.
Camels spit for fun
or for disdain
or maybe because there was a gross bug at the last oasis.
I like wise men.
Usually three
unless I hide one
or a wise penguin gets added to the entourage for a quartet.
Scripture says there were three gifts,
not necessarily three wise men.
The wise men were curious and they did something about it.
The wise men were also rebels.
King Herod told them to come back
and they said, "You're not the boss of me!"
But not to his face.
After all, they WERE wise men.
I like shepherds.
They took care of goofy little lambs
and took turns watching for lions
while others slept around the fire.
They knew the stars without using Google Sky.
I like angels, too,
though not lovely plastic lady angels.
In scripture
the angel was startling enough to terrify the shepherds.
(Shepherds in our children's pageant at church
get to scream when the angel appears.)
Those little baby cherub angels
are not Ezekiel's angels
with many wings and eyes
who announce
"Holy holy holy is the Lord God Almighty.
The whole earth is full of His glory!"
Perhaps Joseph is the least noticed,
but I like Joseph.
He held Mary's hand while she made strange noises.
It's never easy to watch someone you love suffer.
...and though the conception may have been immaculate,
the birth was probably not.
Thank you, Joseph,
for your janitorial abilities
and for being a role model for step fathers everywhere.
Nativity Mary.
She's usually dressed in blue and kneeling in prayer.
She doesn't look tired enough.
She just gave birth to her first child
and now there's company coming.
She really just wants to hold the baby and sleep.
But Baby Jesus makes me somewhat uncomfortable.
He is not what he seems.
His body is covered in swaddling clothes
and diapers
and drool,
but his eyes have overseen the creation of every species on earth.
His ears have heard the morning stars sing together.
His lips have spoken thunder.
His nostrils have smelled angel fire.
His hands and feet know what is coming in 33 years.
His tiny body
and this tiny planet
are holding the physical and metaphysical of the universe.
Voluntarily.
When we look into those baby eyes,
they look back into the hiding places in our memories,
into our past
and our future,
and those eyes love us,
every one.
Those eyes show the love that chained Almighty God
to a human body for a short lifetime.
For me.
For you.
May thoughts of the nativity be with you this Christmas season.
Many blessings,
Denny and Sue
Those eyes show the love that chained Almighty God
to a human body for a short lifetime.
For me.
For you.
May thoughts of the nativity be with you this Christmas season.
Many blessings,
Denny and Sue
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