Christmas Donkeys

An essay, I suppose about the significance of donkeys in the Christmas Nativity.

Christmas Donkeys

                How many scores of children over the centuries have envisioned the journey of Joseph and Mary, very pregnant with Jesus, riding a donkey in search of a place to rest overnight in Bethlehem? Even those who don’t envision that particular biblical scene clearly, probably have seen nativity scenes with a donkey as part of the display. I, myself cannot picture a scene of Jesus’ birth in the manger without a donkey standing nearby along with the camels, sheep, wise men, and shepherds.  Donkeys should be included in a scene of the wondrous birth of Jesus, if for no other reason than because they were common humble beasts of burden for a very long time. Historically, if the pregnant Mary needed transportation it wouldn’t have come by car or bus or camel, she would’ve ridden a donkey.  

Back then, donkeys were referred to as asses with the name changing later in history to the current more socially acceptable moniker. We own a spotted donkey named Isaiah who is a very humble donkey dude unless he wants himself heard. Years back, we took a photo of him wearing a red and white Santa hat. He seemed very humiliated indeed. We made a Christmas card that pictured his horse friend leaning close telling him that the hat made him look like an a*s. Back on subject, some say the whole nativity scene was a myth not just the inclusion of donkeys, but I’m not going to venture into that mess.

                Pope Benedict once said that the significance of donkeys associated with Jesus’ birth was a myth.  A myth? I for one can’t believe the bible is 100 percent historical fact without some embellishment by overzealous biblical scholars, but the inclusion of details like donkeys only makes the biblical stories more interesting, complete, and believable. Why can’t we believe a donkey was there in Bethlehem at Jesus’ birth? What does it hurt?

                More recently, Pope Francis received a pair of donkeys as a Christmas present from a donkey milk company. The idea of drinking donkey milk gives me a slightly queasy stomach, but the modest pope said that he drank donkey milk as a baby when other sources of milk ran short. It’s apparently a chosen substitute drink for those children allergic to cow’s milk. The two donkeys have since retired to a peaceful life in the papal pasture, but I didn’t hear if they contribute their milk.

                Pope Benedict also once said that animals “are not called to the eternal life,” but Pope Francis overturned that papal stance by telling a child who had lost a beloved dog that “one day we will see our animals in eternity of Christ” and that “Paradise is open to all God’s creatures.”

                Reading between the lines, this means that you can be an a*s and still be allowed to enter the pearly gates of heaven.

 Merry Christmas and a hee haw to you all!

Reviews

[Erin S]

Love this story....thank you for sharing!

[Marie]

Milk is milk, from any animal. When I was a child I drank goat's milk.

I Believe Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusulem too, on Palm Sunday, another symbolic involvement of this noble animal.