A small cardboard box sitting on a table with other Christmas items at a church sale – and a price tag that said 50 cents on it – had me curiously opening it and exploring the contents: a Nativity scene, exquisite in its simplicity; handmade.
I re-packed the figures and handed over two quarters, commenting on the loveliness.
"We knew someone would buy it who would appreciate it," the seller told me. I think she was thinking "We weren’t sure anyone would buy this so we just put fifty cents on it and didn’t take it out of the box."
When I got home and set it up and began to admire it I realized – there are two wise men and two kings so two figures are missing. This adds to its appeal. Perhaps the artist got tired of making them. Perhaps the absent king and wise man are in the daycare at the church and being used as building blocks.
And I’ve just noticed, looking at the picture, that I have the wise men facing backwards! Possibly Joseph too. I will take more care when I set them up for Christmas.