Journey to Bethlehem

We’re still in the Christmas season, so I invite you to view a most interesting video presentation of the birth of Jesus. It comes from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as part of its new Light the World campaign.

“The Christ Child” is a dramatized telling of the story. It helps if you know the story because there’s little dialogue, and what few words are spoken are in Aramaic, the ancient language widely spoken at the time of Jesus.

The music is way over the top and Mary does ride a donkey, but there are some interesting deviations from the standard telling – all supported by the latest scholarship.

When they arrive in Bethlehem, Joseph and Mary go to a home of someone in Joseph’s family. It’s crowded because of the census. He wonders if they might not use the guest room, so he climbs a ladder to investigate and finds it full. You wonder how Mary could have gotten up the ladder anyway.

There aren’t just male shepherds in the fields that night. Herding sheep is a family business, so women and children also are gathered around the fire.

The magi remain a mystery. Having seen the star, they set out in a well-guarded caravan. By the time they get to Bethlehem, Jesus is a toddler. When they present their gifts and bow down to worship him, the significance of the act is evident in their faces. They’ve come a long way for this moment, and they find great emotional and spiritual fulfillment in it.

You may find it an affecting experience as well.

The film is about 18 minutes long. Find it on YouTube or at this address: https://www.comeuntochrist.org/light-the-world-2020/the-christ-child.