The Feast of the Nativity

This is the outside of a centuries-old church.

The walls are clearly worn and scarred from both war and weather. It looks very much like the buildings that surround it. In fact, walking close enough to the wall, you probably wouldn’t even know you were walking next to a church.

Here is the inside of the same church.

Pretty, isn’t it? Not overdone, and clearly not as beautiful as some of the more modern churches we’re used to seeing. There is, however, a simple, serene, subtle beauty to it.

This is The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem which, by tradition, sits on the very spot our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was born. As you can see, it is nothing we would expect from something connected with Christmas. It is not flashy. There are no blinking lights or pine trees or silver and gold tinsel. It does not focus on the worldly celebration of Christmas. There are no trumpets proclaiming the birth of Christ. None of the usual signs and symbols we would associate with how mankind celebrates Christmas are here. Instead, the focus is on the story told by St. Luke of how the heavens proclaimed His birth. There are angels and candlelight. A large star marks the precise place where it is believed Christ was born.

Even the name of the church is revealing. This is not the Church of Christmas. It is the Church of the Nativity. This is not a church of the way of the world. It is a Church of the way of the Lord.

So, as we make our way through the next week, my wish for you is this. Amid all the hustle and bustle, amid all of the chaos and insanity of Christmas, may you find an appropriate way to celebrate the simple, serene, and subtle feast of the Nativity of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Christ is Born! Glorify Him!