From Kenneth Anderson, Denmark
A RUSSIAN CHRISTMAS STORY -
"FOR ALWAYS"
by Will Fish
In 1994, two Americans answered an
invitation from the Russian Department of Education to teach morals and ethics
(based on biblical principles) in the public schools. They were invited to teach at prisons, businesses, the fire
and police departments and a large orphanage. About 100 boys and girls who had been abandoned, abused, and
left in the care of a government-run program were in the orphanage. They relate the following story in
their own words: "It was nearing the holiday season,
1994, time for our orphans to hear-for the first time-the traditional story of
Christmas. We told them about Mary
and Joseph arriving in Bethlehem. Finding no room in the inn, the couple went
to a stable, where the baby Jesus was born and placed in a manger. Throughout
the story, the children and orphanage staff sat in amazement as they listened. Some
sat on the edges of their stools, trying to grasp every word.
Completing the story, we gave the
children three small pieces of cardboard to make a crude manger. Each child was given a small paper
square, cut from yellow napkins I had brought with me. No colored paper was available in the
city. Following instructions, the
children tore the paper and carefully laid
strips in the manger for straw.
Small squares of flannel, cut from a worn-out nightgown an American lady
was throwing away as she left Russia, were used for the baby's blanket. A doll-like baby was cut from tan felt
we had brought from the United States.
The orphans were busy assembling
their manger as I walked among them to see if they needed any help. All went well until I got to one table
where little Misha sat--he looked to be about 6 years old and had finished his project.
As I looked at the little boy's manger, I was startled to see not one, but
two babies in the manger.
Quickly, I called for the
translator to ask the lad why there were two babies in the manger. Crossing his arms in front of him and
looking at his completed manger scene, the child began to repeat the story very
seriously. For such a young boy, who had only heard the Christmas story once, he related the
happenings accurately--until he came to the part where Mary put the baby Jesus
in the manger.
Then Misha started to ad lib. He made up his own ending to the story
as he said, "And when Maria laid the baby in the manger, Jesus looked at
me and asked me if I had a place to stay.
I told him I have no mamma and I have no papa, so I don't have any place
to stay. Then Jesus told me I could stay with
him. But I told him I couldn't,
because I didn't have a gift to give him like everybody else did. But I wanted
to stay with Jesus so much, so I thought about what I had that maybe I could
use for a gift. I thought maybe if
I kept him warm, that would be a good gift. So I asked Jesus, “If I keep you warm, will that be a good
enough gift?" And Jesus told me, "If you keep me warm, that will be
the best gift anybody ever gave me."
"So I got into the manger, and then
Jesus looked at me and he told me I could stay with him---for always."
As little Misha finished his
story, his eyes brimmed full of tears that splashed down his little
cheeks. Putting his hand over his
face, his head dropped to the table and his shoulders shook as he sobbed and
sobbed. The little orphan had
found someone who would never abandon nor abuse him, someone who would
stay with him--FOR ALWAYS.
Happy Holidays!
