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The Pastoral Lens
The Simple Message of Christmas
Tuesday, December 17, 2002
One of the many things about the Christmas season that I like so much and look forward to each year is the Christmas pageant at our church. There is just something really special that hits home in my heart when I see children acting out the Christmas story. My wife grew up acting in the yearly pageants. Many young girls dream of being chosen to play Mary. All of my children started out as sheep, or angels, and then other parts. My oldest daughter got to be Mary a couple of years back, a role she just loved. I was picked to play Joseph last year, at the tender age of 36!I don't know what it is, though. Honestly, between the chuckles at kids "doing the darndest things" and grandparents snapping flash photographs, it's a wonder that the message can even get through. Years ago, while attending a presentation in Amherstburg, my wife and I couldn't stop laughing after hearing a rousing rendition of "We Three Kings" done by a small boys' choir. There was one particular boy who easily drowned out everyone else with his out-of-tune crooning.
Another year, one of our daughters refused to stay with the other sheep in her flock. In response to the snickers and chuckles from the audience, she hammed it up, all the while leaving her parents with red faces. Someone once told me that it just wouldn't be a Christmas pageant without those unrehearsed Freudian slips from the young participants.
I guess that's why I get so much out of the annual Sunday School Christmas pageant. The message is kept simple and clear, the way the Lord meant it to be. The very fact that Christ's birth was in humble circumstances shows that His intention was to reach all people. God became like us. He became a human and lived among us. I can certainly relate to that. When I watch the Christmas story, as portrayed by young children with their sincere smiles and down to earth actions, I can understand the simple message of God's love for me. Through all the laughter and unpolished acting I can see the Christ, born for me. While the play's directors and stage people fret and fuss over the various details, I sit back and see beyond all that to the main theme.
I just enjoyed another Christmas pageant this past week. As I proudly watched 4 of my 5 children take part, I once again was reminded of the simple message of Christmas through their acting and songs. I think I'll try to carry that thought with me as I battle the crowds in the stores this week while doing my last-minute Christmas shopping. Have a great week getting ready for the Big Day!
