Over the years I have traveled to many countries on mission trips and have had opportunities to work side by side with believers from different cultures, races and beliefs. I have a collection of Nativity sets, one from each country where I visited. As people learned about my collection, they began to give me Nativities to put on my Christmas Tree or in my office or home.
My passion was to find Nativities that depict Jesus in the cultures, races and beliefs around the world. I believe that people who truly believe in Jesus as the son of God see Him as He sees us, His Children! What a birthright! Jesus transcends all boundaries and limitations that humanity creates in order to differentiate people. Culture, race and beliefs make us different, but Jesus sees us for who we are, and he loves us anyway because we are His children.
It is appropriate for houses of worship and our homes to depict Jesus as African, Chinese, Dominican, European, Peruvian, Russian and on and on. When we see Jesus as the savior of the world and desire that everyone know Him personally, we come to see everyone as a brother or sister because we have the same heavenly Father and the same savior, Jesus. When that happens, the barriers come down, and we can love each other and care for each other as family.
That’s the view from my backyard.
Wayne Smith
