From What Perspective?

Many characters are involved in the Christmas narrative - even some inanimate objects. Here are a few I've identified:

    Mary, Joseph, Jesus, the innkeeper, the sheep, the shepherds, the donkey, the manger, the stable, townspeople, others walking to Bethlehem, the star, the kings, angels, other animals, adults and children going by the stable, Simeon and Anna.

From what perspective would you have liked to witness the birth of Christ? Choose one or more of these persons/animals/objects and reflect on their placement in the Christmas story. Use these questions as a guide:

1. What thoughts guided your selection?
2. How do you picture/imagine your choice?
3. Where is your choice placed and how do they move? For example, the shepherds start in the fields and move to the manger.
4. What type of interaction would your choice have with Mary, Joseph, and Jesus?

My Choice

I chose the donkey because this animal could hear all of the conversations between Mary and Joseph as they traveled to Bethlehem, during their time in the stable, and as they left for Egypt. The donkey would have been a wonderful reporter of the most intimate remarks before and after the day Jesus was born, writing an interesting and inspiring account of their travels.

For Your Reflection

In what ways can a change in perspective affect your experience of Christmas?

Prayer: God, we see so many people, animals and objects part of the Christmas story. Let us enter these scriptures so we too can become present to that day and time when Jesus was born. Amen.