ED. NOTE: Mia Teng, a freshman at Wildwood Catholic High School, shares her thoughts on the Herald’s annual Christmas cover. She is a student in Janice Schumann’s honors English class.
This image displays a photo of the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem, the exact place of Jesus Christ’s birth. The scene paints a swarm of individuals gathered to view this Nativity exhibition, all surely filled with a profound sense of reverence in such a holy setting. Even at first glance, the photo evokes a feeling of serenity, along with an unspoken undertone of understanding; the understanding being how monumental this place was – and still is – so many years ago.
The birth of Jesus Christ was a light in a dark age of sin. We were in dire need of redemption, and God provided us His one son to do so. His birth served as a sign of hope and repentance, and even in a single snapshot those symbols can be observed and captured perfectly. The light that shines on the Nativity scene contrasts with how dimly lit the rest of the room is. It being the main source of light is not only literal, but also metaphorical, as Jesus serves as a light in all our lives, as well.
Photos like these that capture the Nativity in this way – a way that evokes a pristine sense of harmony and awe for the beauty – are reminders that Christmas, at the end of the day, celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. No, Christmas isn’t about gifts, even if it’s that new gaming console that you have been wanting for the longest time. In this way, the manner in which so many of us treat Christmas today parallels the dark ages before the birth of Jesus. Because of our sins, we couldn’t find God, so God sent us Jesus. Now, we are lost again in the commercialization of this holy holiday that – yet again – we are unable to find God within it.
We, as humans, get so caught up in trivial matters that so many of us are unable to trace every smile, every hug, and every kiss we give to our loved ones as direct reflections of God and His grace. The distractions of that new holiday deal and this must-have decoration to put up on the mantle get us so worked up that the point of Christmas gets completely lost. When we think of Christmas, we shouldn’t be thinking about the deals and the gifts. What we should really be thinking about is this picture taken at the Nativity in Bethlehem and with it, the light that Jesus provides for all of us.
As the people of Cape May County contemplate this image, I believe Christ would only say a simple few words to guide our thoughts: “Find me.” The reason I am saying this is because you don’t necessarily need to be inside of a Basilica like all the people in this picture are doing. They made that conscious choice to visit the Nativity that day for their own individualistic reasons, as well. But rather to find Jesus in any other moment you can to not lose a sense of him.
Jesus isn’t only found in churches or other holy places, but in weddings, births and definitely Christmas. Regardless of location or circumstance, find Jesus. Find him in even the littlest of things. Let his light in – don’t shut it out – as he has so much of it to provide; an amount beyond a definitive limit, shining as bright as the Nativity in this image. Just like the grace that God gives us; boundless.
