Wednesday December 8, 2021
WELCOMING THE CHRIST-CHILD
SCRIPTURE: Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it. Mark 10:15
Every year the Christmas season seems to both sneak up upon us and be rushed into our lives. Realistically it comes around at the same pace each year, and yet as we age that pace seems to speed up. Between commitments to friends, family, and careers it can be difficult to remember to spend time reflecting and preparing our hearts to celebrate the birth of Jesus. One of the ways we do this in our household is by setting out a nativity set every year.
This set was made in the 1960’s by Katlyn’s great-grandmother, and every year is lovingly placed out at the beginning of Advent and then stored away at the end of the year. It includes cows, sheep, shepherds, Wise Men, Mary, Joseph, Jesus, and an angel. When a young child, Katlyn would often play with and have conversations with the Jesus figurine. Children have a way of remembering “the reason for the season” that way.
Whilst Stephen did not have an heirloom nativity set, his childhood Christmases were often heavily defined by church nativity plays. And school nativity plays. And community nativity plays. Although they varied in format – musicals, traditionally acted performances, miming to a single narrator – they all shared certain immutable characteristics – dish towels on heads, bedsheet robes and tinsel halos; and of course the story of a small child born in a manger. Although for the older kids and the adults the Christmas season may have taken on a more theological bent, for the children it was the simple marking of the birth of our Savior. Happy birthday, Jesus.
As we enter this Christmas season, we should reflect on being like little children, and allowing Jesus into our hearts and lives. How easy it is to allow the nativity story to become overfamiliar, a narrative that we sit through, half-listening as we ponder out Christmas dinner arrangements, or worry that we should have given the turkey longer to defrost. The nativity set can so easily become just another decoration, a tradition taken out and put away as a stale ritual to mark December. Welcoming the Christ-child can so easily take a second seat to presents and socializing, an early night and a long lie (or as we might say, a long night’s sleep) in taking the place of worship. But there is a better way: Jesus tells us to accept the Kingdom of Heaven like a little child – the child talking to the nativity set, the child repeating endlessly-rehearsed yet half-remembered lines, the child running around the sanctuary at the end of the service, marveling at the decorations. Let us not lose that sense of uncritical wonder at the miracle of the first Christmas. And more, let us strive to keep that wonder with us beyond Advent and throughout the year
PRAYER: Lord, help us to maintain that sense of childishness, that we may now come before you like little children, that we may follow you even when we may be tempted to forget the wonders of your mighty works, and that we may come into that Kingdom which you promised to little ones. We ask this in the name of your son Jesus Christ. Amen
Stephen and Katlyn Whitehead
