For all of the fun and colorful decorating we do around our house inside and out, there is a relatively small and simple manger scene in the middle of our house. It is comprised of a ceramic Joseph, Mary, and Jesus, seeking shelter from the elements and eyes around them. They are special figures for Cammy and I for two reasons:

  1. they represent what we often think of as the beginning of Jesus’ life and our faith;

  2. they remind us of a special young man in our lives.

This young man lived with us for four months while finishing high school as a foreign exchange student from Spain. He had worn out his welcome with his host family and could not yet return home to Spain. His counselor thought that maybe he would do better in a pastors’ home, and we said yes. At the end of the day, he was an adolescent boy seeking shelter from the elements and eyes around him until he could figure out what it meant to grow up and mature a bit more. 

Several years later, post-college, that young man sent us this simple manger scene from Spain. They are Lladró figurines.  

I think people all around us are also seeking shelter from the elements and eyes of their lives, just as Jesus and that young man. We have the opportunity to offer that shelter, in our homes and in our hearts, to both Jesus (again) and someone who needs the grace and acceptance of Jesus. But it starts with our willingness to open our doors and allow them into the middle of our lives and homes. I so look forward to doing that with you these next two Sundays.  See you in church. 

Connecting God and Grace to Self and Community,