The Magi arrived on schedule at the crib on Thursday morning, having travelled a few inches every day across the coffee table towards their destination. Everyone will have their own stories about their children's grasp (or otherwise) of what the Christmas crib scene meant; the two which remain for Mary and I are that the Magi were first understood as 'the grandads', a term which occasionally resurfaces as we contemplate the scene; and that an earlier stable, since replaced, with straw on the floor, seemed a suitably agricultural venue to run a toy tractor through, disturbing the peace of the Holy Family as they were knocked over........
There is something almost complete in the scene now- all the actors are there. It appears crowded, almost excited (and why wouldn't it be?) from certain angles. The latest stable- they have all been modelled from cardboard boxes and needed replacing after a while- is by far the smallest, hence the crowded feeling. All it requires is you, me, to be there.
If you can imagine the scene in your mind, with all the 'extras'- animals, shepherds, wise men, an angel floating above,-where would you put yourself? What, or who, are you drawn to in the scene? Do you see what shepherds and Magi see- someone beyond a baby?
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