THE PICTURE OF THE NATIVITY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19981, 24 December 1926, Page 8

THE PICTURE OF THE NATIVITY.

Written for the Otago Dai,, Times. By the Rev. D. Gardner Miller.

Of all the pictures in the gallery of life none makes such an appeal to the human heart at this rime of the year than the picture of the Nativity. Whatever be our lot in life, whatever our established religious opinion, callousness of soul, hardness of the one-ness of humanity. Differences of opinion, callousness of soul, hardness of heart, all fly when our thoughts centre round the Babe in the manger. Ihe oftrepeated story of the distressed mother beimr turned away from the inn, and having to find a place for herself in the common court-yard when her holy hour came upon her. has found its way into the heart of humanity. Around the scene of the Birth many incidents occurred that, taken together, form a picture upon which is thrown the highlights of infinity. In the centre of the picture are the parents. We often forget, m our adoration of tho Babe, these two humble peasant folk, to whom had come the most wonderful and mysterious happening in life —the birth of a child. The girl-mother, with a growing consciousness that to her had come the keen-edged-joy ot being the mother of the Hope of her nation. Joseph, with his face lit up with thankfulness, stands gazing upon the mother and Child. To them both, the circumstances have been distressing, but one can detect that inner joy that rises above circumstances —the joy that comes when the hand of God is seen shaping all things for our good. Near to the parents stands the little group of shepherds. Some strange thing had happened to them. Their lonely vigil had been suffused with music and the singing of immortals; the darkness of night had been split with light. Hurriedly they bad found their way to the roadside inn, and, with the innate gentleness of the poor, they paid homage to the Child whoso birth had been told them in the vision of the night. These shepherds are a type of those who, without learning, accept the wonders of God without question in the spirit of childlike simplicity. Adoration, touched with awe, is their characteristic. Alongside shepherds stand the wise men from the East. Legend has woven a wondrous story around these men. Representatives of learning, wealth, and position, they present their gifts and bow with humility at the foot of the crude cradle. Here undoubtedly the Gospel narrative conveys the idea that Christ is the desire of all nations and typifies in the coming of the wise men the ultimate acknowledgment of Christ as Lord by the Gentile nations. Hovering over the human beings in this composite picture can be seen angelic forms. Humanity can never forget the song of the angels. Heaven saw in the birth of this Child a divine significance. What a tremendous truth there is here for all who will think it out! _ Earth is Jinked to Heaven, the natural is part of the supernatural, human birth sets the courts of Heaven singing with music. We would not miss the joy of Christmas for anything. How does Heaven spend Christmas? The Child born in a manger is now on the Throne of the Universe. The immortal beings whose one joy is to do the will of the Highest must experience an exaltation of spirit beyond our deepest and rarest imaginings. As we look closer at the picture of the Nativity we catch signs of two old folk, Simeon and Anna, who saw the child Jesus for the first time when His mother took him to the temple. Quiet souls they were, living away from the hurly-burly of the world. Their days were spent in devotion and in the quite definite belief that one day God would make Himself known to them in a manner .unmistakable. And, 10, it happened. They did not argue and question. Their instinct told them that the hour had come. They are typical of those to whom Heaven in an open-door and who are in no doubt whatever that God walks the streets. Such souls are the saviours of the race. Search behind every great religious movement and you will find its springs arising from such quiet, gentle souls as Simeon and Anna. Such is the picture, hut one cannot lift the eyes from it without thinking of the heedless company in the inn. To them the mystery of birth had become common. This peasant was only a woman. Why should they bother themselves about such an every-day occurrence? No one offered her a room. Bound by self, tliey had lost the sweet graces of charity. Legend tells us that the rough innkeeper, when he heard, long afterwards, that the Child born in his yard ivas the Christ, committed suicide. No, Room! No Room! The inn is full. Yen —overfull. ' No room have we For such as ye— Poor folk of Galilee, — Pass on! Pass on! Looking a moment longer at the picture, can we find ourselves in any of the groups?