In view of December 2018, when the Sand Nativity will rise in the very heart of Christendom, Saint Peter’s square in Rome, it is worth reflecting on the theme for the latest edition. It follows a continuous thread by which, from 2002 to the present, the Sand Nativity has become increasingly identified with present-day circumstances.
“Go and do the same yourself” was the symbolic phrase this year. The artistic director, Rich Varano, had a clear idea of what this meant: “the sculptures remind us not to forget the Gospel values, which are a value for everyone for the peaceful coexistence of humanity.”
This coexistence is threatened by a human nature whose “goodness, unfortunately, has not progressed hand in hand with the evolution of science”.
Today, therefore, more than ever before, we are faced with immense possibilities to do good, as well as to do evil. Opportunities for making this choice present themselves daily to each one of us, exactly as happened with the figures in the Bible, depicted so well in the Sand Nativity.
