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RSSMy Crèche Confession
Photo courtesy of United in Christ Church
Okay. I’ll admit it: I’m a snob about crèches. It seems very unlikely to me that Jesus was born under any of the circumstances represented by most of crèches that you see today. Why do we insist on representing his birth in such improbable settings?
Recently my snobbery was sorely put to the test in Rome. One of the highlights of Rome this time of year is the myriad of crèches in each church. In fact, there seemed to be a bit of a competition regarding who could have the most elaborate crèche, although no church dared to take on St. Peter’s Basilica. It stopped just short of a full-blown Disney production.
On New Years Day, more to take refuge from the rain than from a sincere interest, I happened upon an exhibition of over 100 creches. Many embassies in Rome had contributed to the exhibition, as had towns and villages throughout Italy.
There were numerous crèches from Africa, including one depicting Jesus and the Holy Family as Maasai, and crèches from Latin and South America showing Jesus and the Holy Family as indigenous people. There were crèches from around Italy showing Jesus as a chubby, cherubic baby of the Renaissance. There was a crèche showing Jesus and the Holy Family as Eskimos in an igloo attended by flocks of penguins rather than sheep. I have to say, I loved that one.
Believe it or not, there were even a SpongeBob SquarePants crèche and a sock puppet crèche.
However, the most moving crèche was from the children of L’Aquila, an Italian town that had been severely damaged during an earthquake last year, showing Jesus and the Holy Family in the midst of the destruction of their village.
That’s when I got it. A crèche isn’t meant to represent an historical account of the birth of Jesus. It is meant to show us how God is made incarnate through Jesus in our everyday lives—by being born in the hearts of the children of L’Aquila after an earthquake and in an igloo attended by penguins.
As Christmas gives way to Epiphany, and crèches are packed away until next year, perhaps you’d like to share ways in which God is made incarnate in your life?
January 14th, 2010 at 9:58 am
Thank you so much for this reflection. You have changed the way I will view the creche from now on! This Christmas season I found myself pondering their meaning even as I put away my own (small) collection - and I came up empty. I wrapped them and thought perhaps I would not unwrap them again next year since they seemed so false and void of real meaning. Now with your insight and looking to expressions of the incarnation I will celebrate whenever I see a creche! (I may even start looking for some that are less ‘romantic’!)
January 15th, 2010 at 10:27 pm
Thanks,Rob.
My favorite place in the world to be during the 12 days of Christmas is Rome.
Having been in L’Aquila, my heart broke reading of the epiphany you had regarding creches.
Prayers now, as we think of the presence of the Incarnate One in Haiti.
Blessings.
Liz Meade - Diocese of Chicago
January 16th, 2010 at 8:35 pm
I liked your Cre`che Confession very much. This week as I began to dismantle the Christmas Tree I took a break on the sofa and staring at my small statues of a simple Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus, set on a table beside my tree, I for a moment thought “If only Jesus was alive today”. Just at that moment, the blaizing light of the sun came through the window. A reminder that He is alive and in our very presence. What a gift we are given daily.
February 17th, 2010 at 9:41 am
This year I decided not to put my creche away until today, Ash Wednesday. It has been a powerful reminder of the Epiphany that was (is) our Lord Jesus. As I reverently wrap and store each person and creature in my creche, I will reflect on what our world (my life) would be like without Jesus at the center of it.