Christmas controversies
“Keep Christ in Christmas” controversies erupt every Christmas season. But among those who keep Christ in Christmas with nativity scenes, there are also controversies. These are the “don’t mess with my nativity scene” controversies. Or at least the nativity scene as I remember it.
Today there are controversies about whether it is appropriate to add other figures such as migrants and those for whom there is no room at the inns of today. Last year it was jarring to see Jesus, Mary, and Joseph in cages at the border.
This year the Vatican Nativity scene has evoked both amusement and ire. The Vatican unveiled its official Nativity scene in St. Peter’s Square on Friday evening, surprising some with its inclusion of an astronaut and another Martian-like being coming to adore the Christ child.
Learning to see the message of the nativity scene
As I have found so often, Pope Francis opens my eyes to things I had not noticed. In 2019 Pope Francis reviewed the various elements of the story and presents deeper meanings as a tool for evangelization:
- “The Magi teach us that people can come to Christ by a very long route.”
- “The presence of the poor and the lowly in the nativity scene remind us that God became man for the sake of those who feel most in need of his love and who ask him to draw near to them”
As we contemplate the biblical images of lowly shepherds and the angels he reminds us that:
- ” … we are called to reflect on the responsibility of every Christian to spread the Gospel. Each of us is called to bear glad tidings to all, testifying by our practical works of mercy to the joy of knowing Jesus and his love.”
- “Children – but adults too! – often love to add to the nativity scene other figures that have no apparent connection with the Gospel accounts. Yet, each in its own way, these fanciful additions show that in the new world inaugurated by Jesus there is room for whatever is truly human and for all God’s creatures”.
How I find new insights in each nativity scene
I now realize that I need to enter into and see myself as each of the people and elements in the nativity scene.
When I do that I wonder how many lessons of the nativity scene I have missed. When I do that I wonder if I am:
- a nobody Jesus calls to bear witness.
- the innkeeper who kept Jesus at a comfortable distance and even at times shutting the doors of my heart.
- a Herod who has not recognized the body of Christ in those he allowed to be slaughtered by not advocating for them.’
I am beginning to see that every aspect of the nativity scene is a challenge to see some aspect of myself and use that knowledge to grow as a Christian.
So maybe there are lessons I can learn from an astronaut and Martian-like figure coming to adore the Christ child.
It seems the central motivation behind the Vatican’s Nativity scene is communicating that Christ came for all people.
Entering the nativity scene today:
- Are you ready to place yourself in the nativity scene?
- When have you been each of the persons in the creche?
- How does each person and element in the nativity scene call you to growth and action?
- Who would you personally like to see represented in the nativity scene?
For other examples of nativity scenes from around the world visit the Univerity of Dayton’s collection of modern and not so modern nativity scenes
Click below for an audio version of this Vincentian Mindwalk.
I recall being taught that Francis (Saint not the Pope) developed the creche scene to teach the people of his day about the human side of Jesus and the Holy Family – that Jesus truly lived among us and was a person much like each of us.
Even if that might not be the case, it’s something that I have treasured over the years. At our local Ten Thousand Villages store, they have Nativity sets from all over the world. It is always an interesting way of seeing how the story is captured in the art and styles of so many different cultures, each with a Christian perspective.
I too had taken the attitude, “Don’t Mess with My Nativity” as if “My” was the operative word in that phrase. In years gone by, that meant, “Don’t put the Kings in there until Epiphany!” Now, it’s a much softer message.
I like your suggestion of putting ourselves in the place of each of the characters in the story, even if a few of them rarely appear in the creche itself. Adding Herod and the innkeeper are two that caught my attention. Both are given an annoying identity in films and plays, but they probably represent the more human concerns of not wanting to be inconvenienced or taken advantage of. Once again, would I have been so very different?
The more troubling of those two for me is Herod – someone willing to “solve” the perceived “problem” by eliminating all newborn males. So often, I have taken blanket approaches to deal with people or situations that really had nothing to do with what the “problem” was, so often, my misguided perspective.
Help. I want to go back to being the angel or the shepherd.
After becoming a Dad, I had always identified with Joseph and took special care for how he was placed in the scene. Francis (Pope not the Saint) reminds us this year of the role Joseph plays for each of us. I look forward to a year of challenges but with hope and joy on the horizon.
I still can’t get that innkeeper out of my head either – another story – the Good Samaritan has an innkeeper playing an important role there too – but a much better one.
Thanks for making this another interesting day!
For another perspective, Alfred Burt had been composing Christmas songs for his family for several years. The last one he wrote was in 1954 and Wihla Hutson put these beautiful words to it. They entitled it, “Some Children See Him.”
Some children see Him lily white, the baby Jesus born this night;
some children see him lily white, with tresses soft and fair.
Some children see Him bronzed and brown, the Lord of heav’n to earth come down;
some children see Him bronzed and brown, with dark and heavy hair.
Some children see Him almond-eyed, this Savior whom we kneel beside;
some children see Him almond-eyed, with skin of yellow hue.
Some children see Him dark as they, sweet Mary’s Son to whom we pray;
some children see Him dark as they, and ah! they love Him so!
The children in each different place will see the baby Jesus’ face
like theirs, but bright with heav’nly grace, and filled with Holy light.
O lay aside each earthly thing, and with thy heart as offering,
Come worship now the Infant King, ‘tis love that’s born tonight!
To hear Andy Williams’ rendition of the song, please follow this link:
https://youtu.be/ifgnXSB4M60
Would that it were not only “children” who would see Him this way.