One year during the holiday season, my mother introduced my sister and me to one of my favorite Christmas movies, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. We giggled and joked about all the crazy things the Herdman children said and did! The Best Christmas Pageant Ever was the opposite of Peace on Earth, Goodwill to All. The Herdmans were like a pack of wild animals and only came to church because they were told they could get all the free desserts they wanted. Somehow, these chaotic brothers and sisters managed to be cast in all the main leads in the church’s Christmas Program. The only problem was that these children had never heard the story of Baby Jesus from the Bible, and boy, did they have questions: What does “with child” mean? What’s a manger? What did they do with the wadded-up clothes? They didn’t have room for baby Jesus?
These were all very valid questions, but the other children rolled their eyes at them. They felt they were more deserving of the lead parts, so they made fun of the Herdmans. But that didn’t stop the Herdman children from putting everything they had into their characters for the play.
At the end of the play, a memorable part was when Mary removed her oversized earrings and swaddled baby Jesus with so much love, but just when she thought no one was watching. Next, the Angel, a Herdman child, came running down the aisle with a great deal of excitement as she led the shepherds to see the baby and yelled at the top of her lungs, “Baby Jesus is here!” One of the Wisemen, another Herdman sibling, decided to replace the gift of frankincense for baby Jesus and instead gave him a ham that the family had received from their social worker.
While these behaviors seem absurd to those of us who have been in church all our lives, the Herdman children retold the story by giving it everything they had to the best of their ability! What a lesson for all of us! When we’re preparing for Christmas, Jesus doesn’t want a perfect Christmas tree, a beautifully decorated house, gifts with elegant wrapping paper, or lavish meals. He wants the best thing we can give Him, and that’s our hearts. If we strive for that, we will find peace in this world of chaos and be able to truly enjoy celebrating the birth of a baby in Bethlehem, and there is true beauty in that!
Taylor Easttom, Director of Children’s Ministry
