Show The Nativity By ByI I H. H I. I Phillips I T THAT time There went forth fortha ItT It a decree from the Caesars that the whole world should be enrolled catalogued and hewn to a pattern that thai there should be a census of re- re resources resources sources and arms and philosophies And all went to be enrolled every everyone i one unto his own city and Joseph also went up from Galilee out of the city of Nazareth into Judea which Is called Bethlehem because he was pf f the house and family of David to tobe tobe be enrolled with Mary his espoused wife who was with child And it came to pass that when they ey were there her days were accomplished that she should be delivered And she brought forth her first born child and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them at the inn And there was wasa a darkness over the inn now and sounds of quarreling and across the lighted windows lunged clumsy fig fig- figures figures ures shouting The warlords were in the inn sumptuously quartered lolling in fine chairs in their feet their muddy boots on the beds The Dictators Dic- Dic Dictators were there too They had taken the whole first floor months ahead and were now bellowing orders to the servants And they could be heard beard complaining that their patience was being exhausted Greed was in inthe inthe the inn sprawled across a great bed Covetousness and Cupidity were swaggering about the hall laughing coarsely Hatred had taken over a double room and could be heard snarling at Envy and Intolerance who claimed to have a prior right to the large chamber with double I. I windows And in the corridors of the first floor a great bully of a man slashing about with a sword reviling his corn com companions pardons and boasting of some book be had written about conquering all mankind and reducing those who did not agree with him to slavery This man was called Conquest and he was demanding a great front suite where he could have more breath breath- breathing breathing ing space And nowhere within the Inn was there Love Kindliness Faith Hope or Charity e Now there were in the country humble people with no hate in their hearts keeping the faith watching over their own and affrighted by the horrors that were about them and by the drone of bombers that passed overhead blotting out the glory of the stars and they were weary of ultimatums and threats and chal- chal challenge challenge lenge and counter challenge and sick of heart at the corruption of mind and spirit And behold an Angel of the Lord Lora stood over them and the brightness of God shone round and said Fear Fearnot Fearnot not for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy that shall be to all people for this day is born to you a. a a Saviour who is Christ the Lord in the city of David and who is the Prince of Peace the Deliverer of the afflicted and the Christ of love and tolerance And this shall be a sign unto you you shall find the infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger And suddenly there was with the Angel a multi multi- multitude multitude tude of the heavenly army praising God and saying Glory to God in inthe inthe the highest and on earth peace good will toward men And they came with haste and found the infant lying in the manger And the arrogant within the inn were silenced and the drone of the ships ship of destruction sweeping overhead was no more neither were there sounds of distant cannonading Tc their ears came only the breathing of the cattle and the first cries of the Christ Child And they under stood the words that had been to them |