Nativities

The past couple of days have been filled with looking at the lights. Yesterday some friends and I went to Salt Lake City, Temple Square, to look at the lights. The day before we drove around our town looking at the lights. It snowed some both nights. One of my favorite things about snow is driving while it is snowing at night, (granted, I am usually a passenger). The snowflakes coming straight at you spiraling towards you, their vivid whiteness against the darkness. It feels  like entering a time warp. At least the time warps shown in media, I haven't actually been in a time warp before.
As we were driving along admiring the lights I noticed a lot of outdoor nativity sets, mostly because I recently made the one above. I sketched the outline on plywood, a neighbor with a table saw cut it out, and then with some help from family I sanded the edges, glued them (to add another layer of protection) and painted it. If I ever made another one I think I would change a few things, but overall I think it turned out nicely.
So of course, as I saw all the other sets I judged them. Some I really didn't like, but most of them were really nice, they are just so different I don't think I can compare them. There were plastic and wood, lighted and unlighted, colored and plain, boughten and homemade, sets including sheep and angels, shepherds and wisemen, and simpler ones like mine. My mother also collects nativity sets, and she has quite a few. They are all so different and fun. I guess that is the best thing about art, and people in general. Even though there are things in common there is such variety and interest that we don't have to just pick one.
Nativities are especially meaningful in this regard, because they are a representation of Christ, who is everyone's Redeemer, but because we are different, he means something a little different to all of us. He saved us individually, so that we can become the best individuals we can be.