Christmas Glad Tidings and Holy Hilarity

Piero della Francesca painted his nativity scene around 1475, one of his last surviving works.

In this Renaissance piece by artist Piero della Francesca one can easily overlook the donkey in the background, even though it's smack dab in the middle of the piece and letting loose with a big Holler-luia. It may be that only the ox and ass are truly getting what's happened, the former responding with a stunned stare and the latter with a full throated bray. And of course the baby Jesus appears to be waving its arms as if to gain attention.

Perhaps Francesca is suggesting that the rest of us have yet to fully comprehend how unbelievably astounding and amazing the incarnation story really is. Is Immanuel, "God with us,"  really for real?

Joseph is looking away as if in a daze, and the remainder of the cast--angels, shepherds, and Mary--are shown displaying a very proper but almost ceramic piety and solemnity. And in spite of just having gone through childbirth, Mary is immaculately dressed, as are all her unlikely guests, except for the Holy Infant himself, shown here minus his swaddling clothes. 

I was made aware of this painting by writer Jean M. Bloquist in her article "Holy Hilarity," one I found in an old issue of Weavings magazine. She writes:

"I cannot know the mind of Piero, but for me the painting speaks delightfully of the unexpected incursion of the Divine, the magnificently mundane manifestations of God, the hilarity of the holy in our lives--and our amazing ability to remain oblivious to it... Over and over the Holy breaks through with a glorious bray and a grace-filled grin."

Meanwhile, Round John Virgin is nowhere to be seen, having apparently exited after the Silent Night was over.