As a time-honored tradition, my house was decorated for Christmas on Thanksgiving.
Another time-honored tradition is that my participation in decorating the house is nearly exclusive.
Of course, the other four members of my family take part in the little things, like putting tinsel on the tree and keeping the coffee freshly brewed for me. Otherwise, I’m the man.
Not too hard, you think? I beg to differ. We don’t have what you would call the average “lights, candles and a tree” decorations.
In my house, we have two artificial trees (including one of those tedious, branch-by branch trees), strings of lights outside on our balcony and inside all over our railings and walls and a very large ceramic Christmas village complete with not one, but two taverns, a ski resort and 18 churches (Utah style!).
But what never ceases to amaze me every year I set up our decorations is the number of nativity scenes in my house. It doesn’t matter what room you’re in when you’re in my house, you will see some artistic version of the Messiah’s birth.
Some are small, some are large, some are light and soft, some are heavy and breakable (that camel never saw the soccer ball coming).
When Jesus was born, was it God’s intention that 2000 years later, every Christian household in the world would bear the scene of Jesus’ birth to help celebrate Christmas? I have no doubt in my mind?that’s why it was so amazing.
If you don’t believe me, imagine the scene of your birth. Most likely it took place in a hospital room. Mom was on the hospital bed, Dad was by her side. Perhaps there was a doctor or two looking on. You were in your mother’s arms. That’s it.
No wise men bearing gifts. No camels. No sheep or shepherds. No manger. So every year on your birthday, do your parents relive the magic of your birth with little statues and a backdrop that lights up?
I know my parents don’t. Not because they don’t love me, but because I was an ugly baby. So was my brother and so was my sister. I’m not trying to belittle myself. I’ve seen the pictures (and you never will).
I know your mom told you that you were a cute baby, but so did mine. No mother in her right mind would admit her newborn was hideous, because she would feel like a failure by giving birth to something that looks like a lizard.
The truth is that 99.9 percent of all babies are born ugly, with the exception of Jesus and one of my cousins. That’s it.
When you get home, check out your nativity scene. A cute little statue represents the baby Jesus. In fact, in every nativity scene, the baby Jesus is portrayed as a cute baby.
In addition to being the cutest baby to ever be born, He is the Savior of the world. That is why Christ’s birth is revisited and celebrated a great deal through the nativity.
The same way we couldn’t help being freakishly ugly when we came out of our mother’s wombs, Jesus couldn’t help being the cutest baby to ever enter this world.
Gino welcomes feedback at: [email protected].