Growing up I often heard the story of the ruff and tumble Herdman children who came to church enticed by snacks and ended up volunteering to be in the Christmas play. As time went on the six Herdman’s took over the production, caused anxiety among the adults, and put their rustic twist on the play. Yet in the end, the town deemed it the best Christmas pageant ever.*
Stripped away from their performance was the polished perfection of rehearsed lines and overly practiced movement across the stage. Stripped away were all the pretenses that can so often lead us astray. The Herdman’s brought authentic worship for a baby king. In a similar fashion, I witnessed something yesterday that brought a raw emotion to me from the tips of the hairs that stood up on my neck to the watery vision of my eyes. The Village children of our compound were at it again.
In the past two weeks my sons and all their friends have been working together to create gingerbread houses, singing carols, playing games, and in general having a good Kenyan Christmas holiday in our compound. Yet yesterday was different.
They rode in on their makeshift donkey carrying the unborn king.
And when they arrived they found no room in the inn so had to settle for a lowly manger. After wrapping the baby in swaddling cloth, and in true awe, they couldn’t take their eyes off of him.
Even a rough and tumble shepherd with his trusty sheep was brought in from the margins of society to witness the greatest gift of all.
As the narrator belted out the story line from the Jesus Storybook Bible, and the angel made her appearance to all involved, the watching audience sat amazed at the transformation unfolding.
Like the Herdman children in the 1971 book*, it was unexpected and it was real to those looking on. I imagine the events of the first Christmas must have been very similar. From the shocked parents and neighbors of Mary to the overwhelmed and fearful shepherds. Or the unscripted haste with which people took off to search for this king above all other kings. When the truth is right in front of you, you can’t help but be overwhelmed at what “has happened, with which the Lord has made known to us.”**
The Village children performed from the heart “glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told to them.”*** And it truly was our best Christmas performance ever.
* The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
** Luke 2:15
*** Luke 2:20
nehrely there 