No Room at the Inn, but There's Lot's of Room in the Heart

A friend and I were talking about an heirloom she had from her parents.  It was a creche, and she had so many associations with it that were not positive.  As a lapsed Catholic, she shied away from anything remotely related to the Christianity and the spiritual practices that she had been taught, and, let's face it, with its attitudes toward women and gays, not to mention the flurry of child molestations by priests in the news, the Catholic Church has done much to dissappoint and dissillusion. 
I have always had a fondness for the creche: the tender look on Mary's face, Joseph's protective presence, the gifts in the hands of the Magi, the shephard kneeling by the manger, the animals surrounding the scene, and, of course, in the middle of it all the tiny baby.
Not being of any traditional religious faith, I wondered why I was so attracted to this scene.  As I reflected on it, I realized that the creche reminded me of the phrase "it takes a village to raise a child".
As with Jesus in the manger, people from all walks of life, high to low, Maji to shephard, surround and help us throughout our lives. Many have generously aided us in our growth and development. Even the ones who impact us negatively have something to teach.  Add to that the animals that we share this world with.  They are essential to our survival and teach us to open our hearts to the variety of creation.
Like Jesus, we all come into this world helpless; dependent on our circumstance for our survival.  The creche is a symbol of that universal human condition and I believe it's also a symbolic restatement of an essential truth of the Christian message: that we all have the power to become evolved spiritual beings, despite our humble origins.
This is a powerful message that puts the responsibility of our lives in our hands, AND it also encourages us to help each other through life, just as the inn keeper, shepherds, and Maji helped the holy couple and their son.
When I became a mother, I suddenly saw everyone else as the dearly beloved child of a mother like myself.  It softened my heart to my fellow human beings, and encouraged me to appreciate the value of each human life; to look for, and  love, their amazing potential, and to honor the variety and richness of their life's journey.  Approaching any relationship with these values in mind (and heart) will radically alchemize it from the iron of the satisfaction of basic needs to the gold of interpersonal spiritual power. 
Through our own efforts, and with the help of others, we can achieve great heights in our development.  As we grow and change we will encourage, and demonstrate to others, the ability to rise above circumstance and reach for the stars.

Love, Kristine