Lifting the Curtain
It is time for my grandson’s first nativity play. He left this morning armed with bags of cotton wool so as to disguise himself as a sheep. I am sitting near the back of the school dining hall waiting for the curtain to lift. There is a steady hum of voices as mums, dads and grandparents wait as expectantly as me, never taking our eyes off the closed curtain for long. In a moment, a hush will descend and wet-eyed we will relive the well-known story of the first Christmas through the valiant efforts of these 5 year olds.
But for now, I have time to think. What if the curtain doesn’t lift? What if 200 mums, dads and grandparents spend an hour in a crowded dining hall chatting quietly, glancing up every minute at a closed curtain? What if we never get to see the cotton wool sheep, the tea towel decked shepherds, the cow with one ear and Joseph sucking his thumb? And we go home.
“That’s ridiculous,” you say.
But isn’t that what life is like, too often?
We take ourselves through each day at school. We teach, we listen, we talk to colleagues. We are painfully conscious that society has largely shaken its fist at God and we feel marginalised, distrusted, even mocked. And all day the curtain remains closed. What is behind the curtain?
Come closer with me, you will hear music. Up until now the scrape of desks and chairs and the voices of children and colleagues have drowned out the music of the heavenly choir. But now you hear the singing don’t you: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”
If we lift the curtain, even for a moment we will see something which will put a spring in our step. There is the throne room of God. King Jesus is on the throne, majestic Ruler and ultimate Judge. Today His kind eyes scan over the children in my class longing that each one would join in the song.
A hush has descended in the dining hall. I waken from my reverie in time to see one big ball of cotton wool trip over the manger!
It’s great when the curtain lifts!
Megan Patterson, CVE Scotland Chair
