In my neighborhood, there is a Nativity. The homeowners fear for the integrity of their tableau, so the figures have been secured. Chains looped around their necks are pulled taut, then staked to the earth. Figures kneeling in silent supplication send prayers to Heaven, bound in chains. The Christ child is bound as the others are. He alone struggles. Arms and legs akimbo, the child strains against the bonds that his mother, his father, the wise men and the sheep all accept without complaint. He will be free. His freedom, however, will not bring freedom to all. He can only inspire. The others must choose to break their own bonds and join him, or they will choose to remain forever in chains.
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Sue is a student of history and a walking card catalog. If she doesn't know something, odds are she can tell you where to find the information. She writes in her spare time.
