10 Comments
User's avatar
Onn (Ron Low)'s avatar

Thank you for introducing Kenneth Bailey! Read “No Inn at the Inn,” too.

Aside from living in the tropics, it is hard for me to feel some affinity for Christmas here with Santa Claus and winter themes in malls and homes. More so when the traditional ideas about the Nativity e.g. three Wise Men visiting baby Jesus with the shepherds in the background are simply anachronistic. And Mary giving birth to Jesus in a manger would have been a delicate balancing act.

For so many years, these false ideas of Christianity have been tolerated. No wonder other more serious false views have gone unchallenged for years, too.

Expand full comment
Christy Lynne Wood's avatar

Those last two sentences are why I confront this kind of stuff. People sometimes get after me for nitpicking but this is why.

Expand full comment
Cath Giesbrecht's avatar

Oh, goodness, this just is a stunning thought to me:

"This Nativity account tells me that Jesus came as a baby already carrying shame for us through the way he was conceived and born."

Expand full comment
Christy Lynne Wood's avatar

Right?! It hit me too. So much we don’t catch with the different cultures.

Expand full comment
Growing Through God’s Word's avatar

Oh my that book is $56 in Canada. 😢

Expand full comment
Christy Lynne Wood's avatar

Wow!! I wonder if there is an online option? Or an ebook?

Expand full comment
Growing Through God’s Word's avatar

We are going to AZ in January. I’ll buy in States. Expensive but not that much. I hate ebooks.

Expand full comment
Growing Through God’s Word's avatar

Our former minister has told us about

Kenneth Bailey’s book. We learned about the guest room and that the innkeeper wasn’t rude. I love to think of God with us. He arrived. He started the connection with people.

I think Bailey must have talked about sheep and shepherds too. I’m remembering.

I’m going to look for that book. Thanks.

Expand full comment
Christy Lynne Wood's avatar

You are welcome! And yes he does talk about sheep and shepherds. 😊 It’s in my original post “No Inn at the Inn” that I have linked. The truth is so much better than our invented narrative!

Expand full comment
Growing Through God’s Word's avatar

I remember the sermon as he used his little white dog’s picture as a sheep. 😂 I think she was lying on her back.

Expand full comment