This past week Meridian magazine published an article titled Creches and Carols – A St. Louis Community Christmas Tradition. It was written by a newfound friend, Dana King, who feels as keenly, perhaps even more so than I, the importance of finding common ground.
On the first weekend of December, 500 creches from cultures around the world were displayed at the St. Louis Stake’s Creches and Carols. Despite a snow storm that closed the exhibit the first day, 3000 community members attended this third annual event. Most were either friends of members of the stake or those who had heard about the event from newspaper, TV, and radio announcements. This kind of turnout is typical for large exhibits, says King. And though the data vary on the number, at least 50 major nativity exhibits take place each season, with an estimated 75% hosted by wards and stakes of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
One of the reasons crèche exhibits are so popular amongst stakes and wards is that within any given ward, you can typically find 20-30 unique crèches. As ward members start pooling resources across a stake, adding crèches from their friends and community organizations, the number of crèches available for display easily can get into the hundreds and even thousands.
Because so many people in our communities love the Savior as we do, a crèche exhibit provides an opportunity to partner with our community to bring Christ back into Christmas. And, as Holly Zenger, Director of the Midway Utah Stake Interfaith Creche Exhibit and consultant to the St. Louis Creches and Carols Exhibit remarks, [A crèche exhibit] opens up a whole vision of Christ’s work all over the world.
The Midway Utah Exhibit, now in its tenth year draws 10,000 people. In St. Louis, Missouri, where our church is a minority faith, 3,000 isn’t so shabby. In just three years, it has become a large community event, involving Christian, Muslim and Jewish friends. King adds, And while members of the community come to appreciate and respond to us, on the flip side, Latter-day Saints’ understanding and respect for others is expanded.
Creches.
Carols.
Common ground.
7-year-old patron Kendell Carter summed up this bridge-building event best:
It’s about baby Jesus, and that’s what I like.
Me too, Kendell.
Is this something you’d like to try in your stake or ward?
To learn more about organizing a crèche exhibit, contact Holly Zenger at [email protected].
To find out more about what Dana King is doing to build bridges in St. Louis, contact her at [email protected].
Are there ideas that you would like to share for finding common ground, whether on a personal or institutional level? Tell us more.
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