The Greatest Story Ever

While I was home this past weekend, my family and I chopped down our Christmas tree and decorated the house. I was busy stringing the lights around the tree, my attention completely consumed by the task at hand, as my little brother was behind me setting up the nativity scene. He was chattering all the while to no one in particular. I must confess, I was not paying too much attention, that is, until Mom came along and was not too happy about something. Apparently J. had put one of the wise men in the place usually occupied by Joseph. He tried to defend himself by asking Mom, "why do we always have to put everything in the same place every year?" I'm not sure if he really thought that would work with Mom, but if he did he was wrong. No one, however, answered his question. He and Mom both left the room, leaving me to continue stringing lights. As I worked on this task alone, I thought about J's question. It struck me that many people are asking the same question. Isn't that why the story gets told in many ways. People seem to think they can improve upon the story God wrote and they defend their "artistic license" with the same question. The reason we put up nativity scenes each year is to remind ourselves of the greatest story ever... of God becoming man so that man could be reconciled to God. It doesn't need pageantry or adornment - if anything, all that takes away from the truth, veiling it in the material. This is something that became very obvious to me last year in Iraq. We gathered in the chapel (an old, run-down building that was part of the base in Ramadi when it was run by Saddam's Army before we invaded). There was very little in there to remind one of the grand cathedrals or even the quaint, country churches. It was bare and rather dirty (as we all trekked mud in on our boots despite our best efforts not to)... yet I cannot think of a Christmas when the reason for celebrating was more real to me. We read through the scriptures and sang the hymns I've sung since I was very little, and as we ended with Silent Night, the lights were turned off and we all lit the candles we had been holding. I couldn't help but think that had to be so much closer to the real thing than anything I had ever done until then. In the desert, along the Euphrates, where the stars were bright overhead and the world was anything but peaceful, I felt like it must have a night like that when Christ came to earth. Regardless, my point is that we don't need to change the story in order to make it feel more real. If we are feeling a need for change, maybe it's time to tear down the veils we have constructed. When I really think about it, the story of that very first Christmas is enough to bring tears to my eyes. Along with the death and resurrection of our Savior, it will forever be the greatest story ever!