2014 HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS MAGAZINE LINCOLN DAILY NEWS.com November 26, 2014 19
Two perspectives of the same story.
Neither account tells of the shepherds and
wise men being at the manger at the same
time. No where in the Bible are donkeys,
oxen, or cattle mentioned being at the
birth place of the baby. The nativity scene
may not be accurate according to these
Bible accounts, but during the Christmas
season the nativity brings comfort and
peace to people all over the world.
Toni Reifsteck has been collecting
nativity sets with her husband, Wallace,
for over 59 years. They have collected
nativity sets from all over the world,
including the Holy Lands. The collection
includes nativities carved out of wood,
stained glass, ceramic, plaster, pewter,
marble, and more. When they got
married, Wallace had the nativity his
sister gave him as a gift at the time of his
confirmation. With that as inspiration,
Toni made a nativity set for each of
her five children at the time of their
confirmation.
The story continues as Toni makes
nativity sets for each of her grandchildren.
The Reifsteck family has a tradition of
displaying the nativity but not putting the
baby in the manger until Christmas. Toni
is fully aware of the Bible discrepancies
and religious differences when it comes to
the nativity, but according to Toni, “The
nativity is all about faith.” Toni and Wallace
leave three or four nativity sets up all year
as a reminder of the love of Christ.
Judy Kukuck says the nativity reminds
her family of the redemption story. Christ
came as a babe to earth in order to heal
our broken lives. He was later crucified
and rose from the dead so we could be free
from the bondage of sin. “The story starts
with the nativity.” She started collecting
nativities several years ago because she
likes them. Judy and her husband, Dean,
collect nativities as they travel. She, too,
leaves several nativity scenes out all year as
a reminder to her family that the “story does
not end in the manger.”
Continued
→
