The underage narrators get the story right. Almost.
For to us a child is born, and he will be called “the best baby I’ve ever seen!”
A three-minute clip of kids narrating the story of Christmas in their own words went viral on Facebook this month, with more than 37 million views and 27,000 comments.
The video came from a Kentucky megachurch, where church staff interviewed kids from the congregation about Jesus’ birth then dressed up to reenact their responses.
“Of all the stories in the Bible, the story of the birth of Christ is the most widely accepted and known,” said Hanna Wahlbrink, creative director at the non-denominational Southland Christian Church. “Combined with how hilarious the kids are, it’s that story that people want to hear told.”
They prompted children to imagine scenes of the famous biblical narrative. What was Mary doing when the angel came to her? “She was doing laundry,” surmised one respondent. What about the gifts for the baby Jesus? Answers ranged from a stuffed hippo “like one I have at home” to Air Jordans.
The 2015 clip spread after the church’s Christmas Eve service last year and recently took off again after getting featured on the Today show site. Hundreds of fellow churches, youth groups, and ministries have contacted Southland about using the video in their own services and outreach. But that’s not all.
“We get comments all the time saying, ‘I’m not even religious, and this warmed my heart,’ and we love that,” said Wahlbrink, who plays Mary in the video. “The simple message of Christ, through the mouths of kids, is reaching people in a way we never expected.”
Just as Jesus invited the children to come to him (Matt. 19:14) …
