The local church whose “back lot” has for over a decade served as a community garden also engages with the wider community in other ways. Recently, on a trip to tend my garden plot, I saw posters for a “live Nativity.” I’d not yet seen one, supposedly initiated by Saint Francis in central Italy during the 12th century as a way of teaching about Christ’s birth. The poster for the local event prominently featured a camel.
“Where would anybody find a camel around here?” I wondered. “At the zoo?” Intrigued, I showed up at the church’s front lawn just before sunset on a balmy Saturday evening to see for myself. Sure enough, there was a regal-looking camel, festooned with a decorated blanket and tassels and bells. Standing beside the camel, holding its halter, was a swarthy bearded man in a long embroidered robe. He represented one of the three kings bringing gifts for the baby Jesus. The nativity also included a couple of sheep, some goats, and a donkey, in addition to the three humans representing the Holy Family.
It was a supremely kid-friendly event. Lots of families with children were taking part—looking at the animals, petting the goats, decorating Christmas cookies, sipping cider or cocoa. I stayed long enough to chat briefly with some of the animal handlers. Turns out, the camel was from the “Oasis Camel Dairy” in a nearby farming area. She’d been rented out for the occasion.
In most years, the town of Bethlehem in Palestine, site of the original Nativity, sees a huge influx of religiously oriented tourists around Christmas. Pilgrims come from all over the world to see the Basilica of the Nativity and to visit its grotto, the oldest continuously used site of Christian worship. Many suppose it to be the place of Jesus’ birth. This year, though, according to a recent article in the Jerusalem Post, nearly all tourists have canceled, further depressing the local economy. The locality’s struggles to support itself are also complicated by a full-scale war being waged in nearby Gaza.
Even amid sadness and outrage at the ongoing carnage in the Mideast, I’m reminded by the live nativity here of one of my favorite Christmas songs, variously titled “The Gifts They Gave,” or “The Friendly Beasts.” Sung by many different soloists, one of the most popular versions is by Harry Belafonte. Listening to his mellow rendition helps calm and inspire me. In the song, a donkey, a sheep, and a dove in turn explain the gifts they brought for the Christ child: the donkey, transport for Jesus’ mother Mary to Bethlehem; the sheep, a warm blanket for the new baby; the dove, a lullaby. In current news, if we see donkeys at all, they are likely pulling carts of Palestinians fleeing in search of some area of safety.
At this holy season, may we remember the Christmas song’s friendly beasts and their simple gifts. May we imitate such wise animals more often.
Jinny's Occasional Poems 