CS-2016-txt-ART.indd 35
LYING IN A FOOD BIN
35
Review copy only—not for distribution.
stable and placed in an animals’ feeding trough
when there was even the remotest possibility of
cupboard space anywhere else?
It seems that the God of the Bible would,
that’s who. But why?
As a new and confused Christian, I began to
do some research. But I didn’t like what I read
because it didn’t make any sense—at least not to
me anyway. The sign that the angels announced
to the shepherds was, I assumed, a sign that
shepherds would be able to understand. They
were simple people, doing a laborious job. They
were not scholars or theologians… or even obstetricians. They were outdoor-living, rough-headed
shepherds. It was for this simple reason that I
dismissed a fair few of the explanations I initially
read from highfalutin religious types.
For example, I read one long proposal arguing that Jesus was placed in an animals’ feeding trough as a baby because he would later be
understood by the church as ‘the bread of heaven’
in the services that many churches celebrate
called ‘the Lord’s Supper’ (or Holy Communion).
Therefore, it was perfectly appropriate for Jesus
12/09/2016 1:02 PM