HEARTLAND | Meredith Flynn
“Hey man, it’s Jesus!”
The young man and his friend walked by the nativity scene recently unveiled in the Illinois State Capitol, pausing for a split second before moving on.
A small group had gathered to officially open the display with short speeches and Christmas carols, but they were hard to hear over the crowd echoing through the rotunda. I was there to photograph the scene for the Illinois Baptist, and to satisfy my own curiosity about how these two worlds – faith and government – might look right next to each other. But what was even more interesting to watch were the reactions of people walking by.
Hundreds streamed by the nativity during the ceremony, many pausing to look or take photos. Some parents wielding cameras and smart phones sent their young children to stand in front of the wooden lean-to, next to a Mary and Joseph who stood at about their height.
A woman in a colorful floor-length robe and head covering posed for a cell phone photo. A large group wearing “highway safety” buttons moved by the display in twos and threes. Onlookers lined the Capitol’s balcony, leaning over for a glimpse of the baby.
But then they all went on their way, back to meetings or rallies or conversations that had been interrupted by the unusual site of this particular family.
Jesus gets people’s attention. As was evidenced in the Capitol that day, they notice Him. Sure, some of it is simple curiosity, or an opportunity to post an interesting picture on Facebook. But people’s fascination with Jesus and His story, especially during the holiday season, gives Christians an opportunity to talk about Him we might not have any other time of year.
As I watched the crowd, this thought started nagging at me: Would I stop and look? I know who Jesus is, I know His story. And more than that, He’s the reason I have any hope at all, at Christmas or any other time of year. But how often do I think about that hope – and look for opportunities to share it – in the hustle and bustle of Christmas?
I attended a Christmas party recently where we sat in a circle and read pieces of the Christmas story to one another. (To be honest, it was part of a game where we later “stole” presents from one another, so don’t get too lofty an opinion of us). After one friend read her verse from Luke 2 for the fifth or sixth time, she said with a smile, “It never gets old.”
Lord, please let that be true this Christmas. Let us never get too busy to stop and look at You, and to notice that others are looking, too.
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