In the Second Blog of Christmas...

So.... in the Second Blog of Christmas, your blogger gives to you a movie recommendation. Last night I watched The Nativity Story. It is a good movie! I usually worry that Biblical movies may lean toward the boring or being poorly acted, but I think they did a nice job with this one. I didn't see it in the theater - I meant to (you know to support good movies), but I did buy the DVD, full price, the week it came out. It's on sale now at Wal-Mart.

I thought the movie showed a depth to the characters of Mary and Joseph - something we often gloss over as we read this story we know so well. The only part I had trouble with was Gabriel - apparently the Guardian Angel of the Jheri Curl.

I think my favorite part of the movie was when Mary visited Elizabeth.

When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped inside her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then she exclaimed with a loud cry: You are most blessed of women, and your child will be blessed! How could this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For you see, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped for joy inside me! She who has believed is blessed because what was spoken to her
by the Lord will be fulfilled!
Luke 1: 41-45

Elizabeth gave Mary such encouragement during this very difficult time in her life. So often, lately, I've been more apt to complain with and commiserate with a friend in need, as opposed to offering them encouragement. Therefore, I hope to encourage all of you with this, one of my favorite passages of scripture (yeah, I know, 2 Bible quotes in one entry):

The Lord bless you and protect you;
the Lord make His face shine on you,
and be gracious to you;
the Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.
Numbers 6:24-26

The artwork is The Visitation by Carl Bloch, a nineteenth century Danish painter.