Unexpected Gift

See the Nativity through the eyes of a family in the second century, "new" Christian believers in awe of the recent miraculous events. Jacob, a middle-aged shepherd, visits the home of Gaspar and Vashem and their children. The children demand Jacob tell the story of his grandfather, one of the shepherds who was visited by the angels announcing the birth of Baby Jesus. Vashem then tells the next story, that of the innkeeper. Finally Gaspar relates the story of his grandfather Melchoir, one of the wise men, and how he asked for a small strip of Jesus' blanket. The piece of cloth is now treasured dearly by Gaspar's family. As each story is told by the adults, the action comes alive onstage. We see the mysterious way God has of sending just what we need, not what we expected. The shepherds expected someone more important, the innkeeper expected a warrior, and the wise men expected a philosopher. Yet, each person comes to realize that the gift that was given was perfect, just the way it was. Performance time: About 30 minutes.