Christ is born

Utah artist Brian Kershisnik painted "Nativity" in 2006 while teaching at Brigham Young University. The work is 8 feet tall and 17 feet wide.

I love his vision of a "river" of accompanying and observing angels, though I might feel more comfortable if they seemed a bit less "white." Kershisnik spoke with Deseret News:

All the angels in the painting are of varied age, gender and appearance. Some are wondering. Some are interested. Some are weeping. Some are upset. Some are there for protection while others are there to witness the event.

“It occurs to me that even though this event is prophesied, even though everything depends on this, that at the moment when it is actually underway that there would be some anxiety about knowing the stature of this being that has just been compressed into this mortal, human infant,” Kershisnik said.

Joseph is not so "white." And he seems overwhelmed -- blown away by the miracle he's somehow a part of. The two women gazing at the baby are the "midwives," a kindly addition to the story.

Kershisnik also writes:

Only the dog can see the glorious river of angels. The mortals depicted, like us, are understandably and rightly distracted with the quotidian tasks at hand.

... Certainly the epic drama of redemption is far from over, but the message to me is this: He came. He came. Thank God, He came.