Sometimes it takes Ironman and Lego dude to guide young eyes of faith

Dec 22, 2015

By Kelly Bothum
The Christmas season is full of magical moments, whether it’s decorating the tree as a family, feeling the energy of a packed church at Christmas Eve Mass or savouring the joy of a loved one opening a present.

But it’s also the time of year when I feel as if I’m being launched from a Christmas cannon. Some days, it’s as if my body is exploding with stress brought on by unrealistic expectations, family obligations and a misdirected focus away from the true meaning of the Christmas season (worrying whether that package will arrive when they said it would).

This is when I find myself peeking over at one of the many Nativity scenes in our house. There’s something about this simple depiction of our Saviour’s birth that saves me from all the chaos.

What better way to remember that Jesus is the reason for the season than to glimpse at that innocent babe in the manger, surrounded by parents, shepherds, the three Wise Men - and, of course, Iron Man? Or maybe it’s Donatello from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, or a few sparkly My Little Pony figures.

Over the years, there’s been more than a few unexpected visitors to our Christmas creche. Once, a plastic elephant joined the sheep and cows in the stable. A Lego man has been known to accompany the shepherds.

At first, I was horrified at the thought of these secular invaders encroaching on what I considered sacred space, but parenting has softened me. I’ve come to accept an opendoor policy on our Nativity scenes.

For us, the more the merrier when it comes to celebrating Jesus and his arrival.

And why not? Seeing Batman in the Nativity mix means my kids are at least looking at what’s going on with these porcelain figures that I’m always reminding them not to touch.
In the Gospels, Matthew and Luke make it clear that the only superhero around for Jesus’ birth was the birthday boy himself. But in some ways, these unorthodox additions to the Nativity scene can help draw our young Catholics closer to their faith.

I like to think my kids are finding their place in the Christmas story, one that goes beyond the decorations, the carolling and the entirely too many tins of cookies. From an early age, our kids hear the story of how Jesus came into our world — how he was born in a manger because there was no space for his parents to go, how shepherds came to honour him after hearing from angels, and how the Wise Men followed the star and brought him presents.

Sometimes, it takes Ironman and Lego dude and a plastic elephant left by a child to guide the young eyes of faith. Kids need a voice, even if they want to honour the baby Jesus with toys and robots. It may be the steppingstone we can use to teach them about what Jesus did for us.