<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="">Another Christmas Story<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><div class=""><span class=""> </span><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="">What if Mary was María<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="">dark skinned and tired<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="">trudging through the desert<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="">pregnant and far from home?<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><div class=""><span class=""> </span><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="">What if Joseph was José<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="">and there was no donkey<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="">but the burden of fear weighed the same?<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><div class=""><span class=""> </span><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="">What if there was no money<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="">for Joseph or José,<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="">and what if the birth pangs grew sharper<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="">for Mary or María?<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><div class=""><span class=""> </span><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="">What if there were no beds<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="">for any of them,<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="">no shelter, no warmth,<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="">only dust and cold stars glittering above?<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><div class=""><span class=""> </span><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="">What if Bethlehem was Texas?<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><div class=""><span class=""> </span><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="">What if the baby was born<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="">in a manger <o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="">or a detention center<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="">this Jesus, this Jesús<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="">this child of God?<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><div class=""><span class=""> </span><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="">Would he be revered <o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="">or ripped from his mother’s arms,<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="">this Jesus, this Jesús<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="">this child of God?<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><div class=""><span class=""> </span><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="">Wouldn’t the angels rejoice<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="">at this divine spark<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="">born into the world?<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><div class=""><span class=""> </span><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="">Would we?<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><div class=""><span class=""> </span><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div class=""><span class=""> </span><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p class="MsoNormal"><font class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- Lisa Shulman</font></p></div></body></html>