Those of us who grew up Christian had “Nativity Scenes.” I remember the little manger and plaster parasol figurines in our house. The manger was a small wooden dwelling with a thatched roof and proscenium arch open to the elements of nature, but was replete with hay, watering troughs for animals and a small makeshift crib for the baby.
The manger was carefully stored away after each holiday season, but some of the figurines were chipped or the colors were fading and eventually needed touching up with the paint by numbers paints we received as gifts. Joseph’s eyes may have been frightfully bigger than expected due to the touch up, which always gave us a good laugh when placing that figure in the set.
We placed that manger at the foot of our tree every Christmas, because it told a story that reminded us of the true intention of Christmas for Christians. Subtle nods to myths in religion are not only a noble decorative, but they remind us to stay true to the meta narratives of our own lives.
This little story is important because we’re reminded of the symbolic representation for the reason of the season. We’re reminded that refugees could not find a place to lay their heads. The “prince of peace” was born in the wilds among the animals but something special took place that marked his arrival. A star in the sky also represented a bright light in the darkness during the winter solstice.
Although there are questions about the historical accuracy and veracity of the story, as the story is pulled from different parts of the gospels, here’s how the story goes: A nine-month pregnant Mary and her husband Joseph venture to Bethlehem on a rugged journey to be counted in the census. While they are traveling, Mary goes into labor and Joseph tries to find a place where she can have the baby. All the rooms at the inns are taken, but Joseph finds a place and they tell him they can stay where the animals are housed.
In different gospel stories, there are different perspectives and no two stories are alike. For example, in Luke, shepherds are told that the Messiah is born and they venture to see the child. In mangers there is usually a star that represents the great star that guided mystical astrologers from the East who were told in a dream to find the newborn baby to honor its kingship. The star pointed to the exact spot where the child would be found and illuminated the presence of the Holy Family. The holy family and Jesus have haloes to represent their holiness.
In Matthew we hear about the “gifts of the Magi.” The Kings who offered the frankincense, myrrh and gold, symbolize the prophetic nature, the holy nature and the kingly nature of the child respectively. Our manger came with the shepherd figures and angels. It’s important to note that we kept the baby Jesus out of the manger until Christmas day when we celebrated his birth. The kings who bring the gifts are not placed in the mangers until they arrive on the feast of the Epiphany eight days later. More often than not we placed them all there at once, so as to not forget to place them there.
Each figure has its own biblical story noting how it fits into the larger story. For example, the three kings meet Herod and tell him of the coming savior’s birth and how they had visions and saw a star in the sky that led them to the place of his birth. Herod becomes jealous and though he tells the kings he wants to pay homage to the child, he wants them to tell him where the child is born so he could root out the threat of the child’s existence by killing him. The kings get the message and realize that they can’t tell him where the child is. The story goes that Herod had children killed to maintain his status as the true king. The Christian tradition calls this the “Slaughter of Innocents.” Joseph was told in a dream to go to Egypt to avoid the premature death of the child, so they spend the first three years of Jesus’ life in Egypt.
I haven’t seen a manger under Christmas trees for years. They tend to get crushed by wrapped gifts and get in the way of storing what needs to happen there to efficiently manage Christmas, so sometimes they’re placed elsewhere. These meta-narratives remind us that we can make something of our stories in life. We can take our lives and relate to them.
This is the season to look for a great light. This is the season to listen for the messages our angels are telling us. It is the season of giving of ourselves and the symbolic gifts that represent what people mean to us. It is the season of humility and service as we’re reminded that the “prince of peace” was born into poverty and a refugee who depended on the mercy of strangers and community for survival.
spirit beat 