The Nativity Scene

“Here they come!” shouted a wise man.

“Are we ready?” asked Joseph.

“I think so,” said the shepherd.

“Don’t make eye contact! They’re supposed to look at us, we’re not supposed to look at them!”

They had been retrieved from a storage shed that afternoon and arrayed in a side yard facing the street. It was a tradition in the family where they lived. They had a job to do and took it seriously.

The cars picked up speed and drove by.

“Did they see us?” asked the camel.

“I don’t know,” answered the donkey.

“Why not? That’s why we’re here,” asked the lamb, “Don’t they know who we are?”

“They know who we are. They don’t care,” answered Mary.

“Why wouldn’t they care?” asked the shepherd, “Surely they know who the baby is.”

“Oh, they know who the baby is. They couldn’t care less. They have been deceived by Satan. They don’t believe He’s the Messiah.”

“Then why are we here? Isn’t this pointless?” asked the camel.

“Some may think so, but we have to try,” answered Mary, “the Father depends on us.”

“Here comes another car!”

This time the car slowed down. A woman pointed them out to her children. They pressed their faces against the wind and smiled.

“They saw us!” 

“Are you sure?” asked the lamb.

“Yes, they saw us. The man driving the car smiled and nodded.”

“Good!” said the donkey.

“Look! Here come some carolers.”

The carolers stopped in front of them.

“Nobody moves!” said Joseph, “let’s see what they are going to do.”

The carolers opened their songbooks and began singing “Joy To The World.” Finishing, they went down the sidewalk towards another house. One of the carolers turned to another and spoke.

“That’s strange. I could have sworn I saw a tear in Mary’s eye. How could that be? They’re made of molded plastic.”

“You saw it too? I am sure I saw the camel move. My eyes must be playing tricks on me,” said another.

“That’s nothing! Baby Jesus’s eyes locked on mine. I can’t explain it. I felt this overwhelming feeling of love. It was incredible,” offered another with tears in her eyes.

They looked back at the nativity scene, nodded, and walked on.

“Thank you, Father,” said Joseph.

“Now you know why we do this,” said Mary. “to touch hearts and make our presence known. More cars are coming. Let’s show them who we are.”

“Amen”

December 17, 2020