Unitarian Universalist program presents accounts of births in different religions

Though the babies may be called by different names, and the messengers who visit the young mothers come in myriad forms, many similarities exist between Christianity’s story of the birth of Jesus and the naissance of other religions’ great leaders.

At Sunday’s winter holiday program at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Corvallis, more than 150 children presented accounts of the births of Jesus, Buddha, Confucius and Jesusa, a modern-day daughter of God born under the Texaco gas station star.

The pageant, put on by the church’s Religious Exploration program, centered on the belief that every night a child is born is a holy night.

Unitarian Universalists don’t adhere to any one religious doctrine, so the children’s holiday show took a global, nondenominational approach, according to event organizers.

“We honor different religious traditions, not just Christianity,” said Michael Molk, co-director of Religious Exploration.

The church was packed to capacity, filled with lavish costumes, including Chinese dragon heads and donkey ensembles, and the laughter of children and proud parents.

The first tale took place in Kapilavastu, India, about 2,500 years ago, the narrator said, at the home of King Shuddhodana and his lovely wife, Queen Maya.

One evening Queen Maya took a nap, and dreamt a bevy of angles came to tell her she’d soon be a mother.

Then an elephant arrived, carrying a white lotus flower in his trunk. When Queen Maya reached out and took the blossom, miracles began happening.

She awoke and told her husband, who called his counselors to interpret the dream. They said Queen Maya would give birth to a baby who would either be a great king or a great teacher.

This baby was Siddhartha Gautama, known as the Buddha, meaning the awakened or enlightened one.

The next story transported the congregation to Lu, China, home of Kung the Tall and Fu Ma. Kung was much older than his wife, and prayed for a baby to carry on his legacy.

One day, while Fu Ma was sleeping, she dreamt a unicorn appeared carrying a piece of jade in its mouth.

On the jade was an inscription prophesizing the birth of a baby who would one day become a great leader. This baby was Kung Chyoh, and became known as Confucius, meaning the master or teacher.

In Bethlehem, almost 2,000 years ago, Mary was visited by the angel Gabriel and told God had chosen her to give birth to a baby Jesus. He was to become a great leader, and his kingdom would never end.

Hannah Smith, 14, played Mary in the pageant. The Crescent Valley High School freshman said she liked that their production showed the births of several different religions. She also appreciated the teamwork that brought the music, staging, costumes and narration together.

“I love when everyone gets up there and sings because there’s a big feeling that we’re all friends and know each other,” she said.

The show was directed by Molk and Niya Standish, who wrote the script. Standish looked to a book by Unitarian Universalist religious education leader Sophia Lyon Fahs when researching for the production.

The final scene, which Standish culled from a story written by congregant Claudia Hall, offered a contemporary twist on the story of the birth of Jesus.

Marie and Jose were a young, poor immigrant couple living in La Grande, and Marie was very pregnant. The Bureau of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services told them they must report to the organization’s Portland office the next day.

So they piled into Jose’s old pickup truck and hit the road. Marie got very tired, though, and asked if they could stop somewhere and rest. But all the motels were full.

Then, they spotted the Texaco star glowing from a nearby gas station. They stopped, and the attendant said they could sleep in a room in the back of the station. A Hell’s Angel named Gabriel pulled up at the station and joined the group.

Suddenly, Marie went into labor, and needed help. Gabriel rode to a nearby farm owned by the O’Brien family, and Mrs. O’Brien, who had many kids herself, came to the rescue. In the O’Briens’ rush to get to Marie, their gate was left open, and sheep flocked to the gas station.

Marie gave birth to a baby girl, named Jesusa, and the Texaco was filled with hope and love.

Chloe Rodman, 10, played the biker Gabriel, complete with a faux-leather vest and chaps and temporary tattoo, all bearing a chalice, an important image to the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship.

“I thought it was fun. I like it when people find me funny,” said the fifth-grader from Jefferson Elementary School.

Virginia Bailey, 11, played the youngest O’Brien kid.

“She leaves the gate open for the sheep,” said Virginia, a fifth-grader at Wilson Elementary School.

Jackson Smith, Hannah’s 11-year-old brother, was in charge of carrying a Motel 6 sign. His friend, Carl Karpinski, played Jose.

“I thought it was kind of weird at first because it was a lot of lines, but once I memorized it, it was a lot easier,” said Carl, a fifth-grade student at Jefferson.

Mary Ann Albright can be reached at maryann.albright@lee.net or 758-9518.