Italian Nativities Changed The Way I Think of Christmas

Some of the BEST thoughts on Christmas and nativity scenes. Makes one think!

Samaritan's Song

I wanted to buy a nativity scene or a little creche in Italy.

Before we left, I declared my intent to my husband: “What better souvenir?  We’ll be in Italy.  Italy.  At Christmas!  Why not bring home a new nativity that we’ll use for the next several decades?  It’d be perfect.”

As it turns out, I did not, in fact, buy one.  This is mostly because a) home nativity scenes and creches in Italy are profoundly expensive and b) because home nativity scenes and creches in Italy are deeply involved.  I saw tiny, delicate nativities with mechanical moving parts: actual running water, donkeys drinking, sheep walking, Mary swaddling Jesus over and over again with tiny carved hands.  They were all beautiful, they all cost an insane amount, and they were all far too delicate to cram into my suitcase for the trip home.

And yet: those nativity scenes changed…

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Are we there yet?

Bob and I saw the movie, Arrival, on the big screen when it, well, arrived (…smile).  He’s a real heady sci-fi fan; that is, explosions in space are fine, but he prefers the more cerebral plots, and this flick definitely filled the bill.  If you haven’t seen it, no spoiler here.  Suffice it to say that the Earthlings must be very intentional and persistent in learning to communicate with this obviously advanced race of beings, even in the face of fear, opposition, and unrecognized danger from outside sources who misunderstand.

Bob loved it; I walked out with a migraine, but that wasn’t the movie’s fault. Despite the headache, I was still thinking about the