Tonight's image is a seventeenth century mogul (Islamic influenced) representation of the birth of Jesus.  In India, where many world faiths celebrate the births of significant prophets, the birth of Jesus is at the same time just one more story, and also a story that matters to people who understand him very differently.

A beautiful clay nativity scene from Peru shows the Holy Family as a homeless family, whilst the more wealthy observers look down from their balconies.

A prayer from displaced Peruvian people...

God, our promised land,
Christ, our way,
our journey has become long and hard
because we wander about
like nomads
not knowing where to go.
We are strangers in our own land,
without bread, a roof, a future.
But you came to find us
with your life-giving breath.
You, who are also displaced,
have become an exile with us.
you offer us anew the promised land.
Your spirit urges us toward
that joyous homecoming,

This image comes from Nicaragua.  The banner being carried by the messenger/angel reads "I come to tell them that in Nicaragua the new man has been born'

We used a version of the Lord's Prayer from Nicaragua...

Our Father, who art in this our land,
May your name be blessed
in our incessant search for justice and peace.
May your Kingdom come
For those who have for centuries awaited a life with dignity.
May your will be done on earth and in heaven
And in the Church of Central America,
A church on the side of the poor.
Give us today our daily bread to build a new society.
Forgive us our trespasses,
Do let let us fall into the temptation
Of believing ourselves already new men and women.
And deliver us from the evil of war
And from the evil of forgetting that our lives
And the life of this country are in your hands.

The story from Genesis 2 relates to what one writer termed 'the human propensity to f*** things up' - or, sin, or the simple truth that freedom brings responsibility, and choices have consequences.

Personal or corporate, commission or omission, ignorance, weakness or deliberate fault... humans mess up.

Thankfully, God forgives us not once, not 70 x 7 times, but every single time.

Today is a 'heavy' theme, inviting us to recall our regrets - but we do so in order to let them go, to be forgiven, healed and renewed.

(Oh, and it really wasn't an apple, or why would we still eat them?!)

Illustrations from a children's book of the Huron Carol

'twas in the moon of winter-time
when all the birds had fled,
that mighty gitchi Manitou
sent angel choirs instead;
before the light the stars grew dim,
and wondering hunters herd the hymn:
"Jesus your king is born, Jesus is born,
in excelsis Gloria."

within a lodge of broken bark
the tender babe was found,
a raged robe of rabbit skin
enwrapp'd his beauty round;
but as the hunter braves drew nigh,
the angel song rang loud and high...

the earliest moon of winter-time
is not so round and fair,
as was the ring of glory
on the helpless infant there;
the chiefs from far before him knelt
with gifts of fox and beaver pelt...

O children of the forest free,
O sons of Manitou,
The Holy Child of earth and heaven
Is born today for you.
Come kneel before the radiant Boy
Who brings you beauty, peace and joy...

You can listen to a version of it here...