To Another Place and Time for Just a Moment
Each December Christians around the world portray the beauty of that wonderful night over two thousand years ago when our Savior was born in Bethlehem. They unpack Nativity figures and scenes and set them up in their homes; borrow animals, make costumes, and perform live Nativities at their churches; and put on Christmas pageants.
The first live Nativity may have been the one Francis of Assisi oversaw in the mountains of Greccio in Italy in 1223. The desire to make Nativity scenes with handmade figures spread across Europe over the centuries. In France, figures were often made from terra cotta, and they included everyday people, such as bakers and grocers, along with figures of Joseph, Mary, Jesus, and others from the Biblical accounts. In Spain, a Nativity scene often included a figure of a woman washing clothes.
The practice of setting up Nativities spread beyond Europe and new traditions began. In Nairobi, Kenya, some figures are less than a half-inch tall, while in wealthy homes in South America, a scene may take up a whole room.
Over the years I have added a few Nativity scenes from around the world to our Christmas decorations.
Yesterday we acted out the Nativity with several of our grandchildren. Ray was Joseph. For his staff, he used a walking cane passed down from a relative. Bethany, Mary Evelyn, and I were the wise men. Bethany and Mary Evelyn wore costumes from our stash; I wore an afghan. The grandchildren played the other parts. Some wore costumes; others held stuffed animals — sometimes costumes can be scary when you’re really little.
The children set up a doll bed for the manger and placed a doll inside for Baby Jesus. We did our parts while singing “Away in a Manger” and “We The Kings” (we sing “we the kings” instead of “we three kings,” since we don’t know how many there were for sure), and the play was over.
I loved the moment when Bethany, Mary Evelyn, and I went down on our knees before the Baby. It felt so very special. I can see why this tradition of helping people picture the wonderful events surrounding Jesus’ coming has continued. Acting it out takes you to another place and time for just a moment — and what a moment that was more than two thousand years ago when God sent His Son.
In this is love,
not that we loved God,
but that He loved us
and sent His Son
to be the propitiation for our sins.
1 John 4:10
Maybe you can grab some stuffed animals and towels (for costumes) and take your children there for a moment, too.
Merry Christmas to Notgrass Company! Thank you for all you do!