Holy Joe 

I really enjoyed Holy Joe as a way into the Christmas story. Holy Joe was the primary school production for Christmas. Parents, family and friends packed into the church that adjoined the (non-church) school to watch the presentation. Written by one the teachers, Holy Joe was a retelling of the Christian Christmas story in words and song, but told from the perspective of Joseph. Perhaps the teacher had been reading Matthew’s Gospel in particular as the story there seems to see things more from Joseph’s point of view. Perhaps that would also explain why the wise men rather than the shepherds got such a starring role that year (Luke’s shepherds and heavenly host of angels got rather pushed into the background). Not that this was a traditional re-telling of the tale, as the magi’s theme song suggests: “We’re three wise guys on a star-trek enterprise”!  How far can you go and how much liberty are you allowing in re-telling the Christmas story? Productions that fail to mention Jesus entirely have probably missed the plot as far as most Christians are concerned. After that, however, all’s fair in love and nativities. It’s not as if what we call a “traditional” nativity play is entirely biblical. No one thinks that all those involved in the original events were children, though Mary may not have been many years beyond childhood if normal marriage customs were being observed with regards to the average age of brides at this time. Nor, as John Bell, the Scottish hymn writer has mischievously suggested is it compulsory for her to wear blue just because she is expecting a boy rather than a girl. Neither, do the two gospel writers who tell us stories about the birth and childhood of Jesus, suggest that the Matthew’s magi (wise men) ever even glimpsed Luke’s shepherds, never mind gathering all together with Mary, Joseph and various animals around a baby in a manger, though this will not prevent us setting out such a tableaux in many churches.  Not only is it permissible for Christians to have some fun with the plot (angelic messengers as “men in black”, suitably suited, eyes concealed by fashionable shades for example) but it is almost mandatory. We all know how reciting the Lord’s Prayer in church every Sunday can lead to the point where we are saying the words but have disengaged our brains (and possibly our hearts) from the content of the prayer. Just reading the very familiar Bible passages year upon year can begin to have a similar effect and a new twist or change of perspective could be just what we need to make us pay attention once again. If all the parts in church nativity plays were taken by adults this year might we find ourselves reminded that Christmas is not just for the children, but for everyone? I’m not suggesting we try this as I don’t think I could handle the conflict that might arise, though even that might remind us that this a story where King Herod plays a major role and it is set in a place (Bethlehem) where conflict is a very present reality. Oddly enough, I think it is Christians who are best placed to depart from the basic biblical story. In fact, only those who know the original story are capable of departing from it, much as you can only compose a variation on a theme is you are acquainted with the theme in the first place. That is why that during Advent and the Christmas season churches will not be totally dependant on nativity plays for remembering and re-rehearsing the Christmas story. We will hear the prophetic words from the Old Testament, the narratives of Matthew and Luke and the theological commentary of the opening chapter of John’s Gospel that “The true light which gives light to everyone was even then coming into the world,” (John 1: 9) In addition to the message we hear through the words I hope that there is also a nativity play, a Christmas movie or theatrical production, a Holy Joe, a personal or family memory or some other trigger that makes us re-think and re-discover the meaning of Christmas for each of us today.