Grahame Walker

In the ancient world, the most important person was Caesar, emperor of the vast Roman empire. Yet, it is the birth of a baby in a rural Judean village that causes the angels to launch into praise. The circumstances of the birth of Jesus are so basic and humble in origin that it is hard to appreciate just who it is that is born there. Most historical figures of value are born with great ceremony and celebration. In fact, his birth is driven by the need to fill out a census. The word manger is very warm and fuzzy, but don’t romanticise it. A manger was a feeding trough for the animals. It was marked with dried saliva, leftover grain, insects that had been buzzing around it, and bird faeces, not exactly sterile. This was a stark and sad scene that must have been very lonely. Now, the Bible tells us that Mary wrapped the baby in cloths. This was very common for the day. Long strips of cloth were used to wrap the baby tight and keep their legs and arms straight and secure, the process was called swaddling.