As shepherds watched their flocks, mamas weeded their crops, drunkards slept on rocks and street kids begged for some bread.

On Christmas eve I watched the Nativity story film, think it came out a few years ago. Its pretty good, apart from a few interesting lighting effects and at one point the angel looks a bit like he should pull out a v-shaped electric guitar and disappear in a cloud of smoke!

In general it shows the nativity sort of how it would have been, more so than the veggietales version at least. My favourite bit was the shepherds, in the film Mary and Joseph bump into a shepherd on their journey to Bethlehem, they are knackered and cold so he invites them to sit by his fire for a bit. Later once Jesus is born he rocks up with his friends in response to the angels tip off and there is an awesome scene where this shepherd guy is totally humbled by this baby who he knows is God, the shepherd is just crying and scared to even touch the baby.

From the holiday clubs I learnt that shepherds in those days were really poor and looked down on by society, no one really cared for them. At our church the kids did the nativity play as if it happened in Kibera and the shepherds were played by street kids called ‘chokora’ here, pretty sure chokora sort of means rubbish/worthless.

I was really blown away that when Jesus rocked up He let the shepherds, the worthless have the honour of welcoming Him, the honour of being the first to bow down before Him, the first to worship Him. And He came in such a way that made Him accessible to the poor, they weren’t restricted by a rockstar’s bodyguards or a king’s foot soldiers.

And then the wise guys turn up too and offer their crazy pricey gifts, they are also completely humbled and all of a sudden the outcast shepherds, Mary and Joseph the oppressed Jewish family and these well educated rich travellers become equal before a little squirming baby with a flippin big secret.

Jesus loves the humble whether someone humbles them self or they have been humbled, even humiliated by the situations they live in. He makes Himself accessible to the poor, to people who are denied so much. He makes Himself simple to people with no education and makes Himself a puzzle to clever people who like cracking codes and seeking understanding. Flippin love Jesus.