Who Knew?

Just a glimpse—that's what I long for at Christmas time. 

A flash of nativity glow, one whiff of sacred stable air. 

What would it have been like to witness the incarnation?

We often imagine Mary and Joseph going it alone in a cozy, well-lit barn 

scene, but it's possible that there were many who observed 

at least a few moments of the event—an unreported, unnoticed crowd of gawkers.

I think it's likely that Mary's plight drew the attention of other

female travelers. Maybe one of them was drawn into the 

scene to act as midwife to the untried young woman, mother to the Son of God. 

Lodgers from the over-crowded inn probably heard Mary's birthing 

groans and winced, then talked a little bit louder to drown out the sound.

Perhaps humble barn boys, busily tending pack animals and supplying livestock, 

were the very first to hear the cries of the newborn king.