William Kurelek “A Cowboy’s Christmas”
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away. Revelation 21:1-4
After his conversion to Roman Catholicism, Canadian artist
William Kurelek published a book called “A Northern Nativity,” in which he used
his talent to explore what it would look like if Jesus were to arrive here and
now. One page of this beautiful book features the painting “A Cowboy’s
Christmas,” in which Mary and baby Jesus are spotted in a hay shed during
cattle work. What a wonderful image! What a powerful way for us, parents of
young children on a farm, to help show them that this is much more than a story
that took place 2000 years ago somewhere far away. It is a story for all
places, all ages, and all people, including us. Jesus was once found in a
stable, and can still be found in such places today.
We spend a lot of time in our house repeating the stories of
a census and a woman on a donkey and shepherds and wise men. The kids know the
story of that little baby well. We wait patiently (and sometimes impatiently)
throughout the four weeks of Advent for the day to come when we can celebrate
the event which has shaped the world and shapes our lives.
But even though Advent culminates in the miraculous birth in
the stable, that is not the end. It is really only the beginning of something
much greater. Jesus is born, lives, and dies. His ascent to Heaven means that
he lives forever. He will return. The waiting continues. Only now, the waiting
is illuminated by the peace, hope, joy, and love that we reflect on throughout
Advent.
The Book of Revelation tells us, “He will dwell among them
and they shall be His people and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe
every tear from their eyes.” We know that God is and will be among us and
within us, because He has already been here.
He remains among us; in stables and hay sheds and all the other places
our lives will lead us. He is the one who will one day wipe away every tear.
How profound to read this passage as parents who regularly wipe away tears and
wish with our whole hearts that we could take all pain and suffering away from
our children. What a comfort to lead them in a faith that promises that day
will come, and that in the meantime, we have only to seek Him and give our
hearts over to Him. Because if He is in our hearts, then He is as present in
our lives as if He had been born in our very own hay shed.
