About that time Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Empire. This was the first census when Quirinius was governor of Syria. Everyone had to travel to his own ancestral hometown to be accounted for.
So Joseph went to Bethlehem. He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was obviously pregnant by this time.
But there was no room for them in the inn.
While they were there, the time came for her baby to be born; and Mary gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger.
That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby. They said to each other, “Come on! Let’s go to Bethlehem!” … And there was the baby, lying in the manger.
About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, and the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem.
When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream.“Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt.
So the word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.
The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.
kezia here and there 
Is there a way I could print this story to display on our refugee bulletin board at my church this Christmas?
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Hi Susan, I think you could probably just copy and paste the photos and text from this page together into a document… I hope it works!
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This is stunning and heartbreaking. Thank you. I would love to share it with the congregation I serve as pastor with your permission.
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Hi Katherine, feel free to share – although of course the photos are not my own and if you need to you can find the credits for them by clicking on the photos in the blog through to where I found them. I’m glad you liked it!
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Thanks for the post, Kezia. I suppose you have granted permission for us to share. I did it on my FB with Chinese Scripture passages inserted.
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Thank you.
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We too would like to share it, thank you!
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Thank you for this. It is eye opening, and certainty puts a very human face on the Bibical narrative. God help these people!
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Fantastic, thought provoking and challenging!
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Reblogged this on Marklewood at Serenity Lodge.
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Kezia, reading the comments above and your responses, I trust you will be happy for me to re-blog on John 20:21 https://nornirn.wordpress.com/
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Of course, thanks!
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Posted Kezia! Hope you are happy with the way I have used your excellent post.
I wish you a happy and blessed Christmas. John
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Great Alternative Nativity!
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Thank you Kezia. We will be sharing your post as our Christmas Eve reading in our home, also remembering that our family were immigrants too, not so long ago, from Norway. We will retell our own immigrant stories from that time.
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Stunning, stunning, stunning! I shared it on Facebook. I wish I had the kind of reach to make it go viral. Beautiful work. Thank you.
http://www.thesouloftheearth.com
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I also want to share this – it needs to be seen far and wide.
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Reblogged this on The Chastains in Eastern Europe and commented:
Merry Christmas from the Chastain family.
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Thank You for this labor of love to reawaken us to the gospel. I plan to share with congregation and fb. Peace to you, JRWARIELD
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Thank you for this the church I serve in Canada would like to use this for our nativity presentation this year, with your permission
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Hi John, yes feel free, I’m glad you can use it – if you need the credits for the photos they are linked in the photos. Best wishes, Kezia
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I just found this, a year later, but it is still so powerful! And oh the power of prayer for these people. Amazing miracle that they have just announced a cease-fire after six years. May we all join in prayer for Syria and His peace and good news to permeate their darkness!
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Keep these areltics coming as they’ve opened many new doors for me.
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Your ‘alternative nativity’ is so powerful. We’d like to show the images with the biblical text on a rolling screen on our Justice and Peace altar at Ripon Cathedral through Advent as an antedote to all the glitzy Christmas stuff going on. Is that OK with you? And, if so, how would you like it to be attributed to you?
Thank you Canon Ailsa Newby
Canon Pastor Ripon Cathedral
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Hello Ailsa, I hope you received my email but in case not, it’s totally fine to use the pictures and images! Thanks!
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Reblogged this on my stories begin as letters.
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