If Christmas Were Now?

This week after Christmas is not one of jubilation and joy around Christianity. Dec. 26 is the day to remember the death of St. Stephen, the first martyr. Today, Dec 28 is the remembrance of the Slaughter of the Innocents by Herod as he sought to get rid of a "newborn King of the Jews" that the Wise Men were telling him about.

Watching NBC Nightly News on Christmas evening they had a story about life in Bethlehem of Judea today. They commented on the increase in tourism thanks to a relative peacefulness in the area. They then pointed to the now infamous wall that the Israelis have built.

One of the local Palestinian artisans was then shown. He has been carving Olive Wood Nativity sets for years in Bethlehem. He has made one this year that shows a wall separating three wise men on camels from the creche. Dead in their tracks they will never get to the Baby Jesus. The artisan came up with the idea by simply asking himself what would happen if Jesus were born today in Bethlehem of Judea?

Worth pondering, of course, but I'm not sure it is all that different after all. Remember they tried to kill Him then, too.