I was four of five when my grandmother gave me my first “Nativity Scene”. It had the full cast of characters from that first Christmas - Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, angels, wise men, shepherds, and a number of animals all contained in a stable. Each year it was the first “decoration’ I set out as Christmas approached. I would hold each character and imagine what it would have been like to be present at the manger on that Holy night.

Many years have come and gone. I still have that original “Nativity Scene” and many more that I have collected from different countries and cultures. Each is unique in its own way. I still look at them and wonder what I would have done if I had lived some two thousand plus years ago.

What if I had been a fellow traveler arriving a day ahead of Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem and securing myself a room in the Inn? Would I have left the comfort of my room to walk out back and visit the stable?

What if I had been a member of king Herod’s court? When the wise men came seeking to find the Babe, would I have joined them in their search or stayed with Herod and helped to plan His demise?

What if I had been a fellow shepherd on the hillside? Would I have rushed off with my friends to see what the Lord had made known or would I have stayed behind to tend the sheep?

I cannot go back in time and the wonderful thing is that I do not have to. Since Christ now dwells in me, I can meet Him at the manger or in church or at the grocery store. What I missed in Bethlehem, I can experience each minute of every day. The message of Christmas is truly one of great joy because Christ made it available to each one of us.

C.F. “Kim” Kimberling, Ph.D.

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