Lessons from the Children....

There have been some special moments this season involving our nativities. Karen reminded me to jot them down so we won’t forget about them. A few weeks ago Karen and the kids were setting up our collection of Nativity scenes all over the house. Both children are rather creative and used the occasion to add their personality to the task. After Nicholas (our self proclaimed herpetologist) put one of his plastic Cobras alongside the porcelain crèche in the den – the most prominent one in the house – Karen commented, “Nicholas! A cobra doesn’t go in a nativity scene!” Nick countered, “I thought Jesus was for everyone.” I guess he has gotten the true meaning of the season after all!

Natalie also had something to teach us about advent. Karen found her switching the baby Jesus from one Nativity to another. The result was rather odd; the slender hand carved olive wood baby was lying at the feet of the holy family and visitors represented by snow men! And the snow man baby Jesus was dwarfing the olive wood scene. Everything looked out of place. Again, how appropriate. We’ve heard the Christmas story so often that it no longer seems odd or out of place for a baby to be born in a barn! Natalie, however, in her own creative way has shown us that the juxtaposition of Divinity with humanity, of royalty with humility, of Emmanuel – God Incarnate – is what the season is really about.