| Show CSmstmas is Love The Nativity Scene tells the story by Jim Olsen It has been a long time since I watched the movie Mr Krueger’s Christmas it is a Christmas movie produced by the LDS Church James Stewart stars as an elderly building janitor who dreams about the finer things of Christmas Scenes including Stewart directing the Mormon Tabernacle Choir dressing top drawer entertaining Christmas Carolers and finally he becomes part of the nativity scene that is on a little table in his tiny basement apartment His miniature nativity scene is introduced to the audience by Clara a young girl who is caroling with her parents She wanders into the apartment and is attracted to the nativity scene She begins to play with the manger with a small replica of the Christ Child Stewart sees the nativity scene and rearranges a King the manger and shepherds As he ponders the scene he becomes a member of the onlookers on that first Christmas night He is then invited to dinner by Clara’s mother Stewart grabs the manger with the Christ Child and gives it to Clara and the The movie ends with the three walking hand- voice over says “Clara loved Mr Krueger Mr Krueger loved the Christ Child and the Savior has told us all He loves us Christmas is all about love” The message of love is what Christmas is all about ttw- V '' j‘ fitcrvidk 71 i L V !i) ltv t “£'1 r Nativity scenes from Alaska above and Asia are on display in the new LDS Main Street Plaza between Temple Square and the LDS Church Administration buildings j c£' 'vJ Since the early 4th Century the nativity has been part of Christmas Early paintings depicted the Christ child in a manger of straw with Mary and Joseph looking on I would suspect most everyone who celebrates Christmas has a nativity scene in their home In 1978 I made a ceramic nativity scene for Lori and my mother To be more precise a classmate helped me make them They are solid white and include the three Wise Men shepherds a couple of animals Mary Joseph and the Christ Child in a manger We enjoy putting the pieces out each Christmas We find a fairly prominent place in our home and place gold garland around the scene to represent straw The nativity serves as a reminder to each person who stops to look at it that Christ’s love is the essence Christmas Being ceramic they have also been placed in a spot somewhat out of the way of little children’s reaching curiosity When the children began to grow Lori made a nativity scene out of cloth filled with stuffing and a few beans to weight them down The children were able to arrange the characters as they wished They would play with the sheep and Wise Men and even carry them around the house In this way the kids were able to learn that the Christ Child wasn’t “out of reach” and that He was the important part of their Christmas celebration It Isn’t the caroling the clothing the fine foods or even the gifts under the tree that makes Christmas It is the love that God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ demonstrated in the nativity scene I hope that as you placed your nativity scene In that special place in your home you also placed it in a in heart special place your COPY |
