It may surprise some people to discover that we are still celebrating Christmas. Although some are still conscious of the tradition of taking down decorations on ‘Twelfth Night’, for many others Christmas more or less ends on Boxing Day, and in the shops Christmas decorations disappear rapidly after the 25th to make way for sales posters. Italians, however, do things differently. They generally don’t dismantle their cribs – the principal decoration in an Italian household – until the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus, in England known as Candlemas, on the 2nd of February. It should be noted that Italian ‘cribs’ are not merely Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus, along with a few shepherds, wise men and animals. They are often whole model villages, sometimes with moving mechanical scenes, running water, and changing lighting. Indeed, sometimes one needs to look around a bit to see where the Holy Family is located in amongst it all!

It can seem strange that the nativity scene is such a relatively small element of such displays, but in fact it illustrates an important point: ‘The Word became flesh and lived among us’. The term translated in most bibles as ‘lived’ – or ‘dwelt’ in some older versions – has the literal meaning ‘pitched tent’, or perhaps ‘encamped’. ‘The Word became flesh and encamped among us!’

This reminds us of the tent which the Israelites carried with them in the wilderness, the tent in which the Lord dwelt. But there is a difference too, and one which is beautifully caught by those Italian cribs. When the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness, the tent was at the centre of the community. It was also quite a ‘dangerous’ place, where only the ritually pure could enter. But in our story the place where the Word chooses to enter and live among us is almost inconsequential. An animal shelter in a small town. One where lowly shepherds are welcome to enter, indeed are the first to witness this event. And yet though it may seem inconsequential, without it none of those crib scenes would have any significance beyond being a miniature village. The Holy Family in the stable may appear to be a small element, but in fact it is the reason for all the rest of the scene.

The image of the tent also suggests the image of a journey. I have already mentioned the echoes of the journey of the Israelites in the wilderness, but we might also think of the travels of the Holy Family from Nazareth to Bethlehem, then to Egypt, and then back to Nazareth. Journeys marked by worry and danger. Saint Luke’s account of the journey to Bethlehem places the Holy Family in a land controlled by an oppressive occupying force. Saint Matthew’s account of the flight into Egypt reminds us of the plight of contemporary refugees fleeing persecution.

The Word became flesh and encamped among us.

A key truth to take away from this is that God in Jesus Christ remains with us. Saint John tells us ‘we have seen his glory’ – but what is that glory? John goes on: ‘The Law was given through Moses’. We are taken back once again to the Israelites in the wilderness. Here the giving of the Law was an event of great moment, marked with dramatic thunderous happenings according to the book of Exodus. But the glory of the Father’s only Son is marked, at least in the Nativity, not by momentous events witnessed by many, but by a birth witnessed by a few. Even the angelic proclamation is only witnessed by a few agricultural workers according to Saint Luke!

John describes this appearance as being ‘grace and truth’. Grace has the basic meaning of a gift given out of pure generosity. And the truth, for Saint John, is ultimately the truth of God’s self-giving love for us. Indeed, later in the Gospel Jesus will describe himself as ‘The Truth’. God’s generosity is to be seen above all in the person of Jesus.

The Nativity scene, though often a small part of an Italian crib, gives meaning to the whole scenario. This expresses the truth that the Nativity, though in itself a small event, gives meaning to the whole of human existence. It quietly proclaims the self-giving generosity of God in Jesus.

The Word became flesh and encamped among us. Possibly unnoticed by many, but there to witness for those with eyes to see. Calling us in our turn to be that faithful presence of the love and generosity of God. Often quietly, sometimes more insistently, always knowing that God’s presence does not cease when Christmastide comes to an end, but that God remains encamped among us.