The Twelve Books of Christmas, December 30

Today is the 6th Day of Christmas.  Today's Christmas book is one that just came out this year.  It is called "Nativity", by Cynthia Rylant.  I saw it in an airport bookstore, and resisted temptation, but then decided that I just had to have it.

There are Christmas books that are unusual because they tell more of the Christmas story than you expect.  For example, I have an old book illustrated by Maud and Miska Petersham, called "The Christ Child."  This book tells the Christmas story but it does not end when I think:  the book continues with the flight into Egypt and return afterwards.  These episodes are not usually featured in a Christmas book.  Usually you just get the manger and the baby, the shepherds and angels, and perhaps the wise men.

Nativity is unusual because of what it includes as well as what it leaves out.  The story is elliptical.  It begins, not with the manger, but with the shepherds and the angels who hear the good news, and come to visit the baby.  And after telling this portion of the Christmas story, Rylant shifts to one scene from Jesus' adult ministry:  portions of the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount.

"Blessed are the poor," Jesus says, "for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."
"
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."

That's all.  Just those two scenes from Jesus' life.

The humble birth -- and the one who preaches humility.
The meekness and poverty of the nativity  -- and the meek shall inherit the earth.

And as for being pure in heart -- have we, like the shepherds, been to the manger, and seen the baby?

Have we seen God?

Like I said, it is a very unusual Christmas book.