December 6: The Friendly Beasts

Second Week of Advent: Peace
December 6: The Friendly Beasts (French)

Years ago, the children’s Christmas program depicted Jesus’ birth as witnessed by the various kinds of animals one might find on a small farm. Sheep, cows, chickens, a horse, and of course a donkey. Several of the animals had been given a voice and were discussing the events they had witnessed.

In this charming retelling of the story, the animals were all in amazement of what they had witnessed but which had been outside their experience to explain. They were certain something wonderful had happened and that the world had been changed because of the birth of the child that lay in their manger.

Luke tells us that the sign the angel gave to the shepherds was to look for the newborn child wrapped in cloth and laying in a manger in the town of Bethlehem. Like the animals in the Christmas program, they too were amazed by something beyond their experience, but realized that this birth was wrapped in wonderment and love in which God had acted in the world, changing it forever.

As we make this annual pilgrimage back to the stable in Bethlehem in our churches and in our hearts, let us approach the story acknowledging that that which we are called to witness anew is beyond our experience to explain even now, but remains the wonderful moment when God brought forth an act of love for all humankind as a sign that we need not be afraid, for all will indeed be well!

Pastor David Leistra
Sturgeon Bay United Methodist


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Jesus our brother, kind and good
Was humbly born in a stable rude
And the friendly beasts around him stood
Jesus our brother, kind and good

"I," said the donkey, shaggy and brown
"I carried his mother up hill and down
I carried her safely to Bethlehem town"
"I," said the donkey, shaggy and brown

"I," said the cow, all white and red
"I gave him my manger for his bed
I gave him my hay to pillow his head"
"I," said the cow, all white and red

"I," said the sheep with curly horn
"I gave him my wool for a blanket warm
He wore my coat on Christmas morn"
"I," said the sheep with curly horn

"I," said the dove from the rafters high
"I cooed him to sleep that he should not cry
We cooed him to sleep, my mate and I"
"I," said the dove from the rafters high

Thus every beast by some good spell
In the stable dark was glad to tell
Of the gifts they gave Emmanuel
Of the gifts they gave Emmanuel

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