“Go, tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere; go, tell it on the mountain, that Jesus Christ is born.”
It is often said that, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” However, one picture can, in no way, tell the whole story. As my family was preparing for Christmas early one December, we took our annual pilgrimage to visit Santa Clause and have the girls’ picture taken. If you simply saw the photo, you would think the trip was successful. But the picture does not tell the whole story. What you don’t see in this great photo is two stressed-out parents who almost didn’t get the family to their appointment on time. You don’t see the cute little girls who, just moments before, were arguing over the most mundane things. You don’t see our youngest who is clinging to her mother because she wants nothing to do with that jolly ol’ elf. You don’t see lines and lines of frustrated customers who only want to have their children’s photo taken and the building tension around Santa’s photo booth in the mall.
When you see the photo, it is cute and tells a story, but there is only so much of the story that a photo can tell.
In our house, we have several Nativity scenes that we set out each year. There is a beautiful Nativity scene on the altar at St. Luke’s that is displayed throughout Advent and Christmas. The Nativity tells of the story of the birth of Jesus, but it does not tell the whole story. Each nativity scene is a peaceful vision of the gathering of all the characters in the Christmas story. It is the final picture of the Christmas event. It is not the whole story. Joseph and Mary went through so much to stay together as a couple. They traveled so far just to make it to Bethlehem. They went through the difficulty, only to find that the only place to deliver their son, God’s son, was a place only fit for animals.
The arrival of Christ Jesus was both a difficult and amazing event. It is a story that is so much more than the final picture. It is a story worthy of our study and attention. I want to encourage you to look deeper into this story this Christmas season. See the love, the hope, the joy, and the peace that comes alive as the Holy Family travels to Bethlehem and overcomes so many obstacles to see God’s good news enter the world in the form of a baby. This is our story, a story of hope and grace. It is a grand story worthy of being shared with the entire world.
Rev. Keith King, Online Campus Pastor
