Saint Francis and the First Nativity: A Christmas Story of Courage

In this special Christmas episode of CrossRoads, we reflect on the extraordinary courage and faith of Saint Francis of Assisi, the man behind the first live Nativity scene. Exploring his transformation from a wealthy youth to a devoted servant of God, we delve into how his bold choices and unshakable faith made him a beacon of humility and love.

We discuss Francis’s creation of the live Nativity in 1223, a simple yet profound act that brought the story of Christ’s birth to life for ordinary people and continues to inspire millions today. By examining his life and legacy, this episode challenges us to embrace courage, creativity, and compassion in our own lives, making space for the sacred in the everyday.

Join us for an uplifting exploration of how one man’s vision reshaped Christmas traditions and offers a timeless example of faith in action.

Full Transcript

Intro:
Welcome to Courageous by Crossroads Apologetics, a look into what motivates us to step out in courage and the everyday bravery of men and women like you. In each episode, we hear a personal story of bravery centered around this. What’s the most courageous thing you’ve ever done? And now your host, founder of Crossroads Apologetics, Jeff Johnson. 

Jeff Johnson:
Hey, everybody, this is Jeff. Welcome to another edition of the Courageous Crossroads podcast. What a year it’s been. I’ve been so blessed by interviewing so many amazing people. I’m sitting here thinking about all of the folks that I’ve had an opportunity to ask that question of this past year. What’s the most courageous thing you’ve ever done? You know, a lot of times, while we’re working our way into that topic, into that, you know, main focus, that big question I ask people to define courage for them. And a lot of you folks, I’ve asked the question, you know, who inspires you? Who’s the most courageous person that you can think of in your life? You know, somebody that really calls you to that higher level of courage. And people answer mostly with people that are family members, which is completely understandable. 

And I think what a beautiful thing that is. You know, somebody’s inspired by their mom or dad or somebody inspired by a coach or a brother, goes outside of that sometimes, too, to a colleague or somebody that’s famous, and usually it’s somebody that’s contemporary. A lot of people have referenced people from the Bible story that have been the most courageous people that they can think of, somebody that really inspires them. But it makes me think, you know, who would I want to talk to about the topic of courage and commensurate with the Christmas season, I wanted to talk to you about St. Francis of Assisi, somebody that I’ve heard a lot about, I’ve read a little bit about, and what an inspiring person that is. 

But, you know, he lived in the 1200s, so it’s a little bit difficult for me to go all the way back and have a conversation with him, of course, but, you know, I think about his extraordinary life, and I find myself longing for the impossible. That opportunity to interview that man with a heart full of faith and courage that gave the world its first live nativity scene, which is something that we all recognize as being a hallmark of the season. You know, you drive by somebody’s house and you see a nativity scene. Most of the time, you see them next to churches. I don’t know if you ever participated in something like that when you were a youth. 

And going through your ritual and congregational practices, did somebody put the foil on the wings and have you stand up in the manger scene at the front of the church while they told the Christmas story? But that nativity, that picture that we have in the Bible of Jesus lying in the manger, you know, the birth of our Savior is powerful and indelible. And it was St. Francis who originally took that idea from the longing of his heart and created a live nativity scene. And what a conversation that would be, you know, exploring not just his bold step to reenact that humble birth of Christ back in Italy in 1223 was when he did that for the first time, but also the deep courage that defined his life and his mission. 

He had an unshakable devotion, and he turned the simple, stable scene into a stage where the divine intersected with the ordinary. And his message of humility and love and connection echoes even now, centuries later. So what an amazing scene that must have been. I wish I would have had the opportunity to sit across from St. Francis and say, what was it? What was tugging at your heart that gave you the idea to put on a live nativity scene to really bring home the truth of what the Christmas season was all about. St. Francis wasn’t always a man of faith. You know, he was born in 1181 to a wealthy merchant family, and his early life was marked by privilege. Yes, and ambition and a love for revelry. The guy liked to have a lot of fun. 

I’m told you read about that in all of his writings. But after experiencing the brutality of war and a profound spiritual awakening, he renounced his wealth, another courageous act, and chose a life of poverty, service, and devotion to God. What courage that would have taken. I would have liked to have asked Francis, what was that like? Were you scared sometimes when you renounced your wealth and you took that choice of being impoverished and being of service and being devoted to God. But this act alone was an extraordinary display of courage, turning his back on societal expectations and wealth to follow a higher calling. From this foundation, of course, he built a movement centered on simplicity, humility, and love for all creation. 

And what makes Francis an inspiring figure to interview on the topic of courage is not just his radical choices, but his unwavering commitment to living out the gospel in an authentic and transformative way. You know, I’m very inspired by people that I see living the life that God intended for them. You know, when people come into that life that God has marked out ahead of them, you know, and everybody has a purpose in their life. And when you see people that are walking in that purpose, and I’ve had a chance to interview so many of you that are living that kind of life, you know, it is nothing short of inspirational. It’s just very powerful. And St. Francis was like that too. 

I mean, I can’t imagine somebody who was raised in such wealth and privilege and somebody who liked to party and like to have a good time and all that sort of thing, make that tremendous change, that huge transformation that took a ton of courage. And then he embraced lepers, he preached to animals. I think that’s a very interesting thing, preaching to animals. You know, my son in law, Logan, is an inspiring guy in his own right. One of these days I’m going to interview him on this podcast. His dog Otis sits down and when he’s going to have his meal, either in the morning or in the evening, he sits down. 

And Otis will reach his paw up because Logan always prays with his dog before he feeds him, which some of you might think is a really strange thing, but I just think it’s so beautiful. And you know, St. Francis did that too. He preached to the animals. But Logan will take his dog Otis’s hand and he’ll say, thank you, Lord, for this food and he’ll put it down in front of him and then Otis will enjoy the sustenance that Logan’s put in front of him. So anyway, yeah, St. Francis embraced lepers, he preached to the animals, and he challenged the norms of the church. He embodied a faith that was both revolutionary and deeply compassionate. You know, he didn’t just say it, he walked it out. 

Francis believed that courage wasn’t simply about bold actions, but about a heart willing to align with God’s will, even in the face of criticism and adversity. I would have loved to have asked Francis to delve more into that topic. What kind of courage does it take to align your will with God’s even in the face of criticism and adversity? We see so many people that are just encouraged to go the wrong way today. And what courage it takes to say no to the societal norms. To say no to what you’re being so powerfully pulled to every day and turn away from it. But St. Francis did that. St. Francis aligned his will with God’s and then did stuff. You know, the book of James says that faith without deeds is dead. And so we’re meant to do something. 

And the thing that we’re meant to do is the thing that God has laid on our heart to do. And St. Francis embraced that, and he walked it out, and that takes a lot of courage. So this brings us to that live Nativity scene that he created in Italy so many years ago. What drove him to craft this living tableau was not merely innovation, but an unyielding belief that the story of Christ’s birth should be experienced, not just told. Do you know creative people in your life, creative people that are on fire with the things that the Lord has put on their heart? They make it tangible. They make it real. I interviewed a friend of mine, Brandon, who’s about freeing Christian slaves in Pakistan. 

You know, he goes there and he pays the debt, and the people are overwhelmed when they realize that their freedom has been purchased for them, and they fall into his arms. I have so many pictures and so many videos. The team just came back a few weeks ago from another trip over there, and there’s a beautiful video that’s just playing in my head right now of this elderly woman covered in dust out in the brick kilns, and she’s falling into one of my friend JC’s arms and just weeping, weeping. You know, people make it tangible when they align their will with God’s and they start to do the things that God has put on their heart. And that takes a lot of courage, just like it did with Francis when he did the live Nativity scene. 

And Francis sought to bring the miracle of the incarnation of Christ to life for the common people, using hay and animals, those same animals that he preached to and local villagers, to depict the ultimate story of a divine humility and love. And in doing so, he made the gospel accessible to those who couldn’t read, and transformed Christmas into a celebration of Christ’s humanity and connection to the everyday. His result was extraordinary. Francis simple scene, rich in emotion and truth, stirred hearts, reignited faith, and planted seeds that grew into a global tradition. Today, nativity displays grace churches, town squares and homes around the world, transcending cultures and generations. They remind us that the divine is not distant, but present in the ordinary and in the everyday. St. Francis courage resonates deeply with the ethos of Crossroads.

What we do here at the courageous Crossroads Podcast, a platform where we explore the space where faith, culture, and humanity meet his life. Francis’s life was definitely a crossroads moment, a meeting of courage with creativity and conviction. And he showed us that faith requires action. Just like I said from the Book of James, what the Lord inspires us with. Faith without deeds is dead. Faith requires action, even when that action goes against societal norms. Or feels impossible. Is the Lord inspiring you with something? Has he laid something on your heart that you feel like maybe as we’re ending 2024 and getting ready to begin 2025, you’re inspired to begin something that God is touched in your heart that God has given you a special affinity for. Maybe like St.

Francis, you could just step out in faith and do that thing, do that next right thing that God’s put in front of you. The live Nativity was not simply an artistic endeavor. No. But a profound act of faith and imagination that invited others to experience the heart of Christmas, the true heart of Christmas. I hope you drive down the road today and you see a nativity scene. You think about St. Francis. You think about somebody that was maybe winning according to worldly standards, you know, enjoying himself, the revelry, all of that kind of fun, kind of mayhem, that kind of wonderful stuff, and living in wealth and prosperity. But God lit him up with something very inspirational. And he said yes to him. He said yes to God, and he changed and transformed his life. 

So as we celebrate this season, I pray that St. Francis example inspires us to create spaces where the sacred touches the mundane. Wouldn’t that be wonderful? Where love becomes tangible and where hope is made visible to all of us. Francis courage challenges us to step out of comfort zones and live with purpose, real purpose. After all, it was one man’s faith filled vision that brought the story of Christ’s birth to life. And it’s ours to carry forward with the same courage and devotion that St. Francis embodied. So that’s the story of St. Francis and the live Nativity scene. And that’s the story of courage, when one man aligns his will with God’s. What will your story be in 2025? I can’t wait to hear it. And everybody else can’t wait to hear it. Also. Merry Christmas from the courageous Crossroads. God bless. 

Outro:
Thank you for joining us today on Courageous. If you’d like to hear more about the work and ministry being done at Crossroads Apologetics, please visit our home on the web at crossroadsapologetics.org Would you or someone you know like to be featured on Courageous? Send us an email at info@crossroadsapologetics.com or info@crossroadsapologetics.org telling us about the most courageous thing you’ve ever done.