“Shepherds quake at the sight.”
In 1993, my husband Rick and I visited the Palace of Versailles located about 11 miles west of Paris, France. The palace was home to King XVI and his wife, Marie Antoinette. In 1783, The Hameu de la Reine or The Queen’s Hamlet was built on the palace grounds. A replica of a peasant village with its own producing farm, this hamlet was situated on the shore of an artificial lake and served as a rustic and leisurely retreat for Marie Antoinette and her friends. Legend has it that Antoinette loved to “play shepherdess” by dressing as a peasant or shepherd girl while roaming around her countrified enclave. As we know, the monarchy (including Marie Antoinette’s extravagances) played a role in the French Revolution resulting in their deaths at the guillotine.
So, what’s the connection between my experience “playing shepherdess” and Marie Antoinette’s? Well, nothing really—except that I thought of her when an assistant handed me some clothing for my shepherd’s costume. My husband and I had volunteered to be “outdoor live actors” for the yearly Alpine Live Christmas Nativity. In playing my role as shepherdess, however, I hoped to have a spiritual experience while honoring the birth of Jesus Christ. My role play meant much more to me than simply having a fun evening.
Located on a small farm, the Living Nativity replicates the night of the Savior’s birth along with Bethlehem’s Biblical culture. Live actors and animals give authenticity and ambiance to the acreage surrounding the actual nativity scene. For more information, here’s the link: https://alpinelivingnativity.org/
Even though Rick and I have lived in Utah since 2019, we had been unable to attend the The Living Nativity because tickets were hard to get. So when our LDS ward posted a participant sign-up sheet, we volunteered. Arriving at the farm for our one-night-only shift, the Live Nativity organizers gave us our shepherd costumes with our assignment to tend the camels and sheep. The animal pens were located at the entrance to the farm where visitors would shortly line up. Consequently, Rick and I were some of the first actors to greet the hundreds of people who had spent 30 very cold minutes waiting in line. Many visitors approached our campfire to warm themselves while delighted children petted the camels and sheep.
Surprisingly, people asked me about the animals—as though I was some sort of expert. What kind of food did the sheep eat? Where did the camels come from? What breed are they? With a smile, I’d respond, “I have no idea, I’m just pretending to be a shepherd.”
After “shepherding” for a few hours, I was anxious to see the live nativity scene with Joseph, Mary, and the Baby Jesus. Leaving Rick to tend the camels and sheep, I ventured my way to the baby in a manger by “following the star.”
Trekking up the dirt road toward the electrically lighted star perched over the stable, I felt like a real shepherdess. I encountered Roman soldiers on horseback, merchants selling their wares, mules in their stables, and singing choirs of angels. Walking by a row of trees encased in Christmas lights (and feeling sweaty in my heavy shepherd robes) lead me back to modern reality.
The stable within sight, I paused to listen to the Three Wise Men show and tell their intended gifts for the Baby Jesus to a curious crowd. At the stable, only small groups in succession were allowed inside, thus forming a rather long line of people to see Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus. They must have assumed I was one of the nativity scene actors because they deferentially moved aside when they saw me.
The reverence was tangible as I stepped inside the stable. I saw an infant laying in a manger while his parents smiled down at him. The baby was awake and making newborn gurgling sounds as the rest of us stood and watched in silence. Shedding tears, I was surprised by my urge to approach the manger and look closely at the baby. Or, at the very least, get on bended knee at the beautiful scene in front of me. Was this how the “real” shepherds must have felt on that holy night over 2,000 years ago? Is it any wonder that they fell on their knees and worshipped the precious baby who would become the “sacrificial lamb,” the Savior of the world?
Reminding myself (once again) that I was not really a shepherd and the baby in the manger was not the Christ child, I decided that it didn’t matter. The Lord had granted me the desire of my heart: I had come that night seeking a spiritual experience while playing the role of a shepherdess. And in doing so, I understood more fully my favorite Christmas carol, Silent Night:
Silent night, holy night,
Shepherds quake at the sight,
Round yon virgin mother and child,
Holy infant so tender and mild,
Christ, our Savior is born.
It was time for the next group to come in and have their turn to see and experience such sweetness. I didn’t want to leave; I wanted to stay in that spot for the rest of the night.
Wanting Rick to experience the live nativity, I walked back to the sheep and the camels. To my surprise, my daughter and one of her sons were warming themselves at our campfire after having been in line. Because our acting stint was coming to a close, the four of us decided to see the nativity together. Upon entering the stable, I noticed different actors playing the parts of Joseph, Mary, and the infant Jesus. And this time, the fussy baby was in his mother’s arms as the manger sat empty. But, this scene was just as tender as the one before. Now, I “saw” Jesus Christ crying as an infant, his mother, “Mary” holding and soothing Him while the rest of us watched spellbound. This simple, tender scene seemed all the more real to me.
The tour guides gently guided us out the door, so that the next group could enter the stable. What a wonderful night it had been!
Despite our bulky costumes, we couldn’t resist continuing our role play while roaming around and drinking hot chocolate before heading home.
Surely, Isaiah saw and prophesied of his Messianic vision; his words aptly reflect the holy majesty of the Savior’s birth:
For unto us a child is born; Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
I’m so thankful to be one of Christ’s sheep!
Julie
