Maeréad and the Christmas Story
Maeréad and her parents, along with Clovis, came down to Wilkesboro for dinner last Tuesday. After dinner at Applebee's (which, I learned, has the best mac and cheese for little girls in the whole world) we all came over to our house. Maeréad was certain the little lummox would be excited to see her, but Carmen had given him a greenie and he was too busy chewing on that to pay much attention to anyone. Nothing distracts him from a greenie.
So while the adults all stayed in the family room talking, Maeréad walked out to the living room with me to see our little nativity scene. It's a strange little set of characters, carved by Chinese craftsmen who must have wondered what all these figures were supposed to represent. The little baby Jesus in particular is a little odd: happy face, round head, round nose, and wrapped in what looks like a large white clay pot. The figure cracks me up because it looks exactly like Ziggy from the comics.
Maeréad wanted to know who the figures were. I pointed to the Mummy and Daddy with little baby Ziggy. Then she got interested in the lion and the lamb. She pointed to them and immediately said “They're married.” After a few seconds she turned them over on their sides and said “They're going to bed now.” OK – the Good Book does say that the lion will lie down with the lamb.
Then she turns back to the Holy Family. She points to baby Ziggy in the clay pot and announces in a big voice “This is GOD'S SON!” I say yes. Her eyes light on the rather stunned looking figure of Joseph - “That is God!”
No, No, I say, that's Joseph, Jesus' stepfather.
“That's GOD'S SON – so he must be God!”
Well God can't come down here on Earth, wandering around like he's someone's father, so Joseph is the stepfather, I say.
The theology is suspect, skating completely around the Trinity, and probably several other problems as well, but that seemed to satisfy her. To distract her I pointed to the Angel figure behind little baby Ziggy and asked her who it was.
“A fairy.”
Anyway, that's the Christmas story for four year olds here in the land of Wilkes.
Next year I'm getting the Nativity Scene carved by Afghan craftsmen. All the male figures have the little flat Afghan hats and beards. The leader of the three kings looks exactly like Osama bin Laden.
Maeréad and her parents, along with Clovis, came down to Wilkesboro for dinner last Tuesday. After dinner at Applebee's (which, I learned, has the best mac and cheese for little girls in the whole world) we all came over to our house. Maeréad was certain the little lummox would be excited to see her, but Carmen had given him a greenie and he was too busy chewing on that to pay much attention to anyone. Nothing distracts him from a greenie.
So while the adults all stayed in the family room talking, Maeréad walked out to the living room with me to see our little nativity scene. It's a strange little set of characters, carved by Chinese craftsmen who must have wondered what all these figures were supposed to represent. The little baby Jesus in particular is a little odd: happy face, round head, round nose, and wrapped in what looks like a large white clay pot. The figure cracks me up because it looks exactly like Ziggy from the comics.
Maeréad wanted to know who the figures were. I pointed to the Mummy and Daddy with little baby Ziggy. Then she got interested in the lion and the lamb. She pointed to them and immediately said “They're married.” After a few seconds she turned them over on their sides and said “They're going to bed now.” OK – the Good Book does say that the lion will lie down with the lamb.
Then she turns back to the Holy Family. She points to baby Ziggy in the clay pot and announces in a big voice “This is GOD'S SON!” I say yes. Her eyes light on the rather stunned looking figure of Joseph - “That is God!”
No, No, I say, that's Joseph, Jesus' stepfather.
“That's GOD'S SON – so he must be God!”
Well God can't come down here on Earth, wandering around like he's someone's father, so Joseph is the stepfather, I say.
The theology is suspect, skating completely around the Trinity, and probably several other problems as well, but that seemed to satisfy her. To distract her I pointed to the Angel figure behind little baby Ziggy and asked her who it was.
“A fairy.”
Anyway, that's the Christmas story for four year olds here in the land of Wilkes.
Next year I'm getting the Nativity Scene carved by Afghan craftsmen. All the male figures have the little flat Afghan hats and beards. The leader of the three kings looks exactly like Osama bin Laden.
posted by Clemens | 1:04 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home