Day 9 - The Twelve Creches of Christmas

I believe every Christian household should display a Nativity Set as a symbol of what Christmas and the birth of Jesus Christ is all about. In our home we have nearly 60 crèches, which means that we have continuous reminders everywhere.

So I was pleased when Sue and Andy sent me a photo of their family Crèche.

They mentioned, “You may notice that the donkey is missing an ear... that's because our grand daughter (now 7) loves to play with the set and when she was two she somehow broke off the ear, which was never found!”

What a coincidence! When I was setting up our “main” crèche, I noticed that the ear on our donkey was also missing. I wonder if losing their ears is a genetic shortcoming of donkeys!

My first reaction was, “We need to replace the donkey or buy a new Nativity Set”, but we have had the present one for 40 years, and Christmas traditions are important to us.

Then, I thought maybe the donkey’s broken ear is symptomatic of today’s world, as well as what life was like when Jesus was born in the first century.

At a Toronto City Hall Christmas tree lighting/carolling ceremony, the Mayor spoke about the first Christmas and said that the needs were as great today as then. She pointed out that while we were enjoying ourselves in relative comfort and security, only a short distance away were hundreds of people who were homeless, hungry, lonely, etc.

Maybe the broken ear on the donkey is a sign to us. It serves to remind us how we can assist needy individuals travelling with us on the road of life – a kind word of encouragement, financial or other gifts to help lighten a heavy burden and offering an outstretched hand to lift up and support God’s creation.

Today think about all those who travel through life with a missing “ear” (whatever that means) … pray for them and sustain them in any way you can.

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The Crèche is a nativity set depicting the birth of Jesus Christ. Since St. Francis built the first Crèche in the 13^th century, the idea has expanded around the world. Even though people frame their Crèches to reflect their local customs, traditions, cultures and materials, the central focus is always the same – the birth of the Saviour. During the 12 days of Christmas, I will share 12 Crèches and their messages. Hope you enjoy them.  

    Love to hear your thoughts on the Creches in COMMENTS below.