Nativity

The nativity scene is an attempt to place the emphasis of Christmas upon the worship of Christ rather than upon the secular materialism and gift giving.

These are not our words but those of St. Francis who in 1260 created the first nativity scene. However, his words are as applicable today as they were then, if not more so.

Many people today don’t know the true significance of Christmas. They don’t know that over 2000 years ago a baby boy was born in a Bethlehem stable, the poorest of the poor. Yet during his life time he would say things that are so astonishing that millions of people are still living by them today.

He said love thy neighbour and forgive those who do you wrong. But more importantly we believe that he was the son of God who would be betrayed and brutally crucified for simply telling us to love one another. Those who killed him thought that, that was that; that he was dead and gone. Yet 2000 years later here we are, half a world away from Bethlehem, in a city in New Zealand looking at this nativity scene that depicts the simplicity of his wondrous birth and preparing to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus.