Christmas exists because of a pretty special kiddo and it exists for kiddos. Of course we keep Christmas around for a lot of other good reasons as well, but kids do factor pretty hugely into the whole deal.
With the kid-centric nature of the holiday in mind, I want to invite you to drop a little seed into some wee brains. If you get a chance to chat with kids and make it past the next sweet thing they hope to pop into their mouths or the sick toy they’re hoping to get under the tree, consider laying some “Oh Little Town of Bethlehem” truth on them. In no way dissing a really pretty good song, maybe we can help kiddos connect the dots between the creche and the craziness of modern day Bethlehem. Here are some talking points:
Did you know Bethlehem is a real place? It’s a city with traffic and stores, restaurants and movie theaters.
Around 25,000 people live there. That’s about half as many people as visit Disney World on a given day! (Or whatever contextual stat might make sense to the munchkins you’re engaging.)
Most of the people who live there are Muslims. But most of their nearby neighbors are Jews. The Christians have mostly moved away. Since Jews and Muslims usually don’t like each other (That’s a long story!), it’s sort of like Mentos and Coke over there.
Let’s pray the remaining Christians will be safe enough to stick around. Ask God that the Jews and Muslims would learn more about this sweet baby and the rock star he grew up to be.
Next time your parents ask what you want for Christmas, tell them a trip to Bethlehem!