The Nativity Scene – a Reminder

Whenever you see a nativity scene, be reminded that

God wants to be closer to you.

According to tradition, the first nativity scene was built by St. Francis of Assisi in 1223 to encourage the villagers to worship Christ. It was life-sized with live animals in a cave in Grecio, Italy, a small mountainside village.

Now nativity scenes are everywhere around the world, and even include live performances. What a powerful way to visualize the love of God, and his mission of reconciliation!

The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo — A section of Michelangelo’s “The Creation of Adam”

Jesus is called by many powerful names…

…Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace
The Bible

The name most meaningful to me is Emmanuel, “God with us.” It tells me that–just like the original plan–God’s plan and desire is still to walk through life with us, providing all we need and working out all of our experiences for good.

Let’s use the simple, childlike images in a nativity scene to have some quiet moments with God.

Inspired by this beautiful article, I hope you’ll join me in contemplating the love offered in that first nativity.

Below is a collection of my own nativity scenes, with “reminders”.

Feel free to use these (and share!).

I wish for you the love, comfort and hope found

in the first Christmas, every Christmas!

I Bring You Great News

Christmas angel — Good tidings of great joy…Emmanuel…God with us.

Christmas, to me, is evidence that God wants to be with us—near us—not far away.

That changes everything I used to believe about God being a looming taskmaster whose main purpose was to hand out a list of rules and dire consequences with a warning, “Now don’t mess up!”

Christmas shows the fallacy of a distant, indifferent Higher Being, chuckling and sighing as we struggle on our own to figure out the mysteries of our spiritual path and the secret to happiness and peace.

Christmas is the most visible and tangible expression of God pro-actively coming to live our lives with us—first in Jesus over 2,000 years ago, and ever since then in his Spirit—simply because he loves us. And that reaching for us, pursuing us, walking with us in every experience we have, was not a one-time thing. It has happened since the beginning of humankind, and happens everyday. And if we look with eyes of faith we’ll see it.

That is the good news the angels told of in Bethlehem. “Good”? I would call this great news! No wonder they sang their highest praises to glorify God.