My daily lunchtime walk takes me past the local parish church. I’m usually so focused on getting my step count up that I have to confess I don’t pay much attention.
However, at the start of December, I began to notice that something was happening . . .
It started with a joiner’s van parked outside the gates. Lights were on inside the church. Muffled thumps and bumps could be heard behind the firmly closed door.
Then, a few days later, a wooden shelter appeared in the front garden. Suddenly, the community Facebook page was buzzing with speculation. And then the secret was revealed. Our town was creating a scarecrow nativity!
This may already happen in other villages and towns, But, for us, it’s new and really quite exciting.
Each day, a new character appears. And as you can see from my picture, the stable is already pretty crowded. Which seems fitting, given there was no room at the inn.
The shepherds and their sheep came first, followed by a large and impressive owl. I’m not quite sure of his role in the story, but he’s lovely!
The addition of the angels was quite dramatic. It was a wet and blustery day, and I did feel for the poor man perched on his ladder, fixing them in place!
Photograph by Angela Gilchrist.
Now, every passer-by stops to see if anyone new has arrived. It’s been an inspired way to bring the Christmas story to the whole community.
The church doors might be closed, but it is still playing its part in the life of our community.
So I do hope the scarecrow nativity becomes an annual tradition!
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For more from Angela, click here for her Editor’s Diary.
Angela Gilchrist I am the former Editor-in-Chief of “The People’s Friend” magazine. My passions include cats, Highland ponies, good books, vegetarian food and long walks in the Scottish countryside. My favourite place to get away from it all is the magical Isle of Skye.
