The Nativity Filled Our Time and Minds

Sunday’s To-do List included:

X Worship at Church
X Clean house for Welcome Home party
X Decorate for party
X Make chocolates for party
X Practice Our Show for party
X Go to Dollar store to buy gifts for party
X Go to movies to see The Nativity

Going to the movies was a way to fill time until the party. And it was a fun way to fill our minds with the Christmas Story.

Things I liked about the movie:

• The actors did not have white skin, blue eyes, and an American accent.
• The scenery (for lack of a better word) was great. I liked seeing how the dress, buildings, landscape, and jobs (olive crushing, harvesting, shepherding) might have been done during Biblical times.
• It showed how it was a dangerous time. The people were captives to the Romans and Herod. There was great tension. It was obvious that the people needed a Rescuer, a Saviour.
• Some struggles Mary, Joseph and her parents have are revealed. I.e. It was a very courageous thing for Mary to say to the Angel, "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her. Saying "yes" to God meant hardship for herself and her family.
• It was mostly faithful to the Biblical account. Some of the timing of the events seemed out-of-order, but this did not hinder the enjoyment or effectiveness of the movie.

Other comments:

• About ¾’s of the way through my nieces (5, 9,10) started to fidget. This is not a high action movie. I haven’t asked them yet if they thought it was too long.
• It has illusions to violence and real life pain. Like when . . . A daughter is forcibly taken by soldiers as payment for taxes . . . Herod’s soldiers kill the babies 2 and under . . . Rebels are punished and seen crucified . . . Elizabeth and Mary have their babies. There is a lot of screaming but no blood and gore. . . Mary, her family and Joseph are ostracized by their village because of Mary’s untimely pregnancy . . . John the Baptist is circumcised (as a baby).
  
  The movie does not dwell on these things, but it is good to know about in case you want to have follow-up talks with your kiddos.
  
  I LOVED Joseph. His character was the most developed one in the movie. His care for Mary is evident from the beginning and is so touching. He also displays great courage in taking Mary as a wife and taking the two of them on that 100 mile trek to Bethlehem. I had no idea it was so difficult.
  
  This movie does provide plenty of subjects to talk about with your children. Especially the courageousness Mary and Joseph displayed when following God’s will. The older two nieces were grossed out that a teenage Mary (like around BW’s age) would have to marry someone so old (like around my son’s age).
  
  I also LOVED that the audience clapped at the conclusion. Christ’s entrance into the world certainly does deserve clapping. How Mary and Joseph responded to God's will deserve clapping. Isn’t that a fitting way to end a movie about Christ?
  
  What comments do you all have about The Nativity? Leave a comment or write an entry on your blog and let us know.