Articles
The True Star of Christmas
The brisk winter air flowed in as the door continued to open and close as around 150 children ready for the Christmas camp made their way in. Some showed up at 7:45, even though we didn’t start until 8:30. Their eyes were alight and they were anxious to begin. After check-in they sat waiting, and ready for the story. Hushed and quiet except for the few hellos to teachers that some of our school children hadn’t seen during the Christmas break.
They were ready and waiting. They didn’t know the story. Many of them had never heard it, they had seen the giant Christmas trees go up throughout Beirut, heard the music in every store, glanced at the nativities on every corner and gazed as the lights shimmered in the night for the last month, but they had no idea why. They didn’t know this began with that star long ago sparkling in the night sky telling the wisemen, the king they had been waiting for, was here. So that’s where we started, with the star that told the wisemen that the king that was coming to save the entire world was here.
Rotations of classes with crafts, more story telling, singing and game playing was the plan of the day. The sounds of giggling, singing, and melodies of Christmas music flowed from room to room as the children rotated through each class. In the story room the drama of the story of Mary and Joseph was told and many of the younger children giggled as they thought of Mary traveling all that way on the donkey being that pregnant, many imagining their mom’s belly at the time. The older girls shocked by the scandal of Mary being pregnant without a husband at about their age, likely putting themselves in her place. By the end it was clear why the wisemen were following the star, God was doing a miracle, the king was coming.
At the end of the second day the children were enthusiastically waiting to share what they’d learned. Presentation time commenced. The story was delivered by one of the kids and then the prophesy about the coming child-king was repeated by the older children who had readily memorized it. Last each age group was able to nervously but boldly sing the song about the coming of God to earth that they had worked hard to prepare. Each group watching the others as they showed off their new choreographed song. And at the very end, a dance party teachers and kids rejoiced in the fun that was had over the last couple days.
Then they were off, the crinkling of paper bags filled the entryway as the treats and a gift for each child was taken as they went back to their homes. And now each time they pass the nativity down the road from our center or see the star seated on top of each Christmas tree the story of the coming king that came to save the whole world will cross their minds and God’s demonstration of who He is, Emmanuel becomes more real.
–Kelsie
