Do We Really Need The Baby?

Do you ever get the feeling that our version of Christmas is more about the wrapping than the gift?

Jon Swanson wrote a wonderful article about Christmas programs. He’s right—we often get so concerned with the presentation that we forget the meaning behind it.

Christmas isn’t about a perfect performance.

Jon’s article stimulated my warped sense of humor. I imagined what the first Christmas might have looked like if humans produced it. I imagine the set as everyone rushes around making last-minute adjustments. It might have looked like this:

An angel’s carefully blocking out the scene so the characters are in the right place for a good camera shot when the wise men enter.

Mary’s mad because the camera isn’t getting her best profile.

The baby’s making everything more complicated.

A shepherd’s trying to get the stupid sheep to stand still.

Another angel’s cleaning up after the donkey that pooped right in front of the baby.

Joseph wants a bigger part.

Whose idea was the manger? It’s too hard to see the baby in all that straw.

The camels won’t get in line.

The star’s too bright—it’s messing up the lighting in the stable and it keeps spotlighting the baby. Somebody needs to tone down the star!

The director’s yelling at the shepherd boy to stop banging on the drum. The boy starts crying, and his mom threatens to take him home.

The conductor insists on one more rehearsal—got to get those “Halleluiah’s” just right, and the alto angels are missing their cues.

Can someone keep that baby quiet? We’re trying to concentrate!

The innkeeper keeps sneezing. Who picked an innkeeper who’s allergic to hay?

Where’s the tree? It can’t be Christmas without a tree.

Got the tree, but now the angels are mad because there’s a star on top.

The baby keeps squirming and fussing. Can’t we lose the baby—is He really necessary?