Disclaimer: I don't own any aspects or events referenced in this story.
Chapter 29
Truth in the Toys
Elsa looked around as she made her way past the coal car. The train had moved away from the ice lake and had begun travelling in a spiral up a rather pointy mountain. Clouds blanketed the land below, forming an appearance of solid ground. The moon shined brightly onto the moutain and the suspension bridge beyond it. The environment seemed almost otherworldly to Elsa, like a dream.
"So, what were those things at the lake?" Anna asked.
"Those were nightmares and fearlings. I've heard a thing or two about them. Nasty creatures that send bad feelings and fears. One even snuck aboard the train and freaked one of the passengers out with a broken mannequin we were transporting," the Conductor said.
"I've seen those things a few times, in my travels. They won't be able to come up here, right?" Jack asked the Conductor.
"No. There's a force field that protects the lands up here from dark beings like nightmares. The only case where they could come up here is if they stowed away aboard the Express. Almost impossible, since they were all frozen back at the lake. Very unlikely that they'll bother us again."
Elsa nodded. "Good. Not gonna lie, I didn't think nightmares could manifest like that."
Olaf looked over. "How do you think they manifested?"
"I don't know. I thought it was only a dream thing. Something that happened in the mind. I didn't think that dreams could become real like those things."
"Well, you saw the black sand creatures, so you know they're real now," Olaf said. "I've seen them occasionally floating above people's heads while they're sleeping. Almost thought I imagined them, so, in a way, I'm glad that you all were able to see them. Now I know they're real."
The Conductor frowned as he helped Olaf and Anna down a ladder leading to the first car. "I don't know if I necessarily agree with that statement, Olaf. Sometimes, seeing is believing. And sometimes, the most real things in the world are the things we can't see."
The Conductor opened the green door at the front of the first passenger car. "Now, watch your step, please. There's a lot of stuff in here, and it's already had enough mistreatment. Don't want you all to get hurt either.
Elsa followed the Conductor down a dark room. The moonlight and lantern combined to shed light on the car's occupants. Everywhere Elsa looked, she saw toys. Toys hanging from the ceiling, toys on the floor, even toys sitting in the chairs. All of the toys were different, yet there was one thing that connected them all. They were all broken. Legs missing from dolls, puppets' strings tied up, even stuffing falling out of stuffed animals.
"What is all this?" Elsa asked.
"It's an idea the boss had a while back. Instead of leaving all these toys to rot, we collect them from all the trash heaps and dumps of the world and fix them. Re-bi-cycling, something like that."
Anna looked around. "How could people treat their possessions this way? It's horrible."
"Kinda speaks volumes about the type of people they are," Jack added.
The Conductor nodded. "Yes. Not all of the world is bright. These toys bear the brunt of that. But we always try to add a little light by sending these toys to good homes. Children who will be gentle and won't lose their toys. Not a single toy is ignored or missed in this project."
Olaf nodded. "That's good. It's nice to know that toys aren't forgotten when people are done with them." Olaf squinted. "Quick question, what's wrong with those toys?" He pointed to a small section near the back of the car. The toys there seemed to be in better shape than their counterparts. If anything, they seemed almost brand new.
The Conductor looked over. "Ah, yes. Well, there's an island that picks up abandoned toys as well. These toys are actually fine, not broken. The only problem is that they have a small problem that their owners didn't like. That mechanical bird swims instead of flies and that stuffed bear had his smile stitched upside down. Those toys don't need fixing. Instead, they need an owner that appreciates them. This program helps with that."
Elsa nodded. "Glad to know that these toys are getting a second chance. I know how that feels." She looked over to see a particular toy shining in the moonlight among the misfit toys. The toy depicted a stable with several animals. A man and woman doll were sitting in the stable, looking at a baby in a manger. Elsa frowned. It looked a lot like the scene in front of the church back home.
She pointed to the stable. "What's wrong with that one?"
The Conductor squinted to see the toy in question. "That one is actually very well preserved. It almost wasn't considered a misfit. It depicts the Nativity, with Mary, Joseph, Jesus, and the rest. Unfortunately, there were two minor annoyances with that one. There's supposed to be a light shining straight down on baby Jesus, to represent the star that shined above Bethlehem. However, the light doesn't work, regardless of the lightbulb or battery. Also, instead of a star at the spot where the light shines down, a cross is shown instead. Personally, I don't think that last item was a problem."
Elsa turned back to the Conductor. There it was again. The Nativity and Jesus. She had pored through the archives, and had only seen a passing reference to Jesus here and there. Elsa had been too busy to look through anything else, but she had meant to take a look after the party.
Well, maybe the Conductor of a train that seemed to scream Christmas expertise would have an answer. "Mr. Conductor, I have a question about that. I don't think I heard much about the Nativity growing up. It was mentioned a few times as connected to Christmas, but never really discussed. I was wondering if you knew why this event was significant?"
The Conductor nodded. "That makes sense. Many people might know the general events, but they don't know the details."
Before the Conductor could continue, a crash sounded behind them. The Conductor pulled up the lantern to see someone get up from the floor. "Sorry. My bad. Didn't see that toy on the floor there. Hope I didn't break anything," said a voice.
The Conductor went over. "Nothing seems to be broken, either in the body or the toys."
"Well, that's a relief," the figure said.
The Conductor reached down a hand and pulled up the Stablemaster. He brushed himself off, grabbing some carrots from the floor.
"What are you doing here?" Anna asked.
The Stablemaster turned towards her. "Well, I was grabbing some food from up front. Ran out of food at the back and Smokey and Steamer usually carry some carrots at the front. I was able to grab some after you all left."
Elsa was confused. "But how come we didn't see you?"
The Stablemaster shrugged. "I came by the roof route. Not easy on Glaciar Gulch and a frozen lake. Also, I guess you didn't see me on the way back. If the time is not right, it can be kinda hard to see others as you travel on this train. After all, it is the…"
"Polar Express." Olaf finished.
"Now you're catching on."
The Conductor looked over. "Glad you're here, though. These passengers here are wondering about the importance of the Nativity. You know the events better than I do. Want to handle this?"
The Stablemaster nodded. "Sure. I can take a few minutes to answer the question." He turned to the rest of the group. "This'll take a few minutes to answer, and requires a little bit of backstory.
"So, Jesus' birth is important because of who he grew up to be. As you've probably heard, Jesus is the Son of God and God himself. So you can expect a lot of stuff happened during his life. He performed lots of miracles. He healed the sick, made the lame walk, the blind see, and even raised someone from the dead. All the while, he preached a message with two aspects. One aspect was a correction on people who thought they were righteous. Turns out, while those people lived righteous lives on the outside, they had secret sins or sinful thoughts on the inside. Real eye-opener finding out you're not as perfect as you think.
"The other part was very important to those who realized this truth. Alongside the miracles, Jesus also forgave people's sins. This was significant because the forgiveness meant that God had forgiven those people's sins, since Jesus is God.
"Some of the parables Jesus told illustrated forgiveness as well, like the parable of the prodigal son. In the story, the son abandoned his father to live recklessly, wasting the money he'd demanded from his father. When the money ran out, the son came back to the father, ashamed of what he had done. He expected and was planning to ask to be a servant instead of the father's son. When the father saw the son coming, he ran over and hugged him. Before the son could fully make his request, the father ordered that a huge celebration be made for the son's return. Instead of being condemned by his father when he returned home, the son found himself honored and loved.
"Stories like that illustrated that God is willing to accept and forgive those who come to Him as they are. Through these two aspects, Jesus showed people that they weren't perfect, but that God still loved them and would accept them if they came to Him.
Olaf nodded. "That message must have made him very popular."
The Stablemaster nodded. "Indeed it did. Everywhere Jesus went, crowds followed him. He was very popular. One time, he even entered Jerusalem on a donkey, with the crowds waving palm branches and celebrating his arrival. It was like they were greeting a king."
Jack frowned. "Why do I sense that there's a wrinkle somewhere?"
"Well, Jack, there was indeed a problem. Just as there were people who believed in Jesus, there were also people who didn't believe. People who had been spiritually prideful, saying that they were holy and righteous. They didn't like hearing that they were hypocrites and no better than anyone else. Also, they felt that Jesus was blaspheming by claiming to be God. Those people refused to consider if Jesus' claims were true.
"Those prideful people also happened to be connected to the government. Soon after Jesus rode into Jerusalem, the leaders arrested him on charges of blasphemy. The trial was more of a kangaroo court, if I'm gonna be honest. Jesus was found guilty and sentenced to death. He was nailed to a cross and crucified, one of the most painful deaths ever. Several hours after Jesus' was hung on a cross by his hands and feet, he died."
Olaf waved a tear from his eyes. "That's so sad. I really liked that guy."
The Stablemaster nodded. "So did a lot of people. And the hypocrites were worried about that. Jesus had said before he died that he would rise from the dead in three days. The hypocrites were concerned people would try and start a cult by stealing Jesus' body, claiming he had risen from the dead. Once Jesus died, he was placed in a tomb, with a stone rolled over it and guards placed to ensure the concerns wouldn't come true
"Three days after the crucifixion, some women came to the tomb, only to find it empty. They were told by angels that Jesus had actually risen from the dead. They soon saw Jesus himself, alive and healthy. Several disciples saw Jesus at different places after that; way too many people and places to say it was a rumor or a hallucination I might add. A short while after Jesus rose from the dead, he ascended to heaven, telling his followers to make disciples of all nations, spreading the Good News to everyone. That time came to be celebrated as Easter."
Elsa frowned. "So is that what makes Jesus special? I mean, it's unbelievable that Jesus rose from the dead, but I don't know what that has to do with us. Seems more like a story of the past than something that applies today."
"Well, it's actually much more than a simple event. To explain the full significance of the crucifixion and resurrection, I need to ask you all something. Forgive how blunt this is, but I ask as a person who cares. Have you ever sinned? Done anything wrong? Stolen something? Told a lie, big or small? Mistreated someone else?"
Elsa was about to answer 'no' when she stopped. Come to think of it, there were times similar to what the Stablemaster was describing. She had lied to Anna about her powers, acted unkind while shutting Anna out. There were several other occasions that made Elsa feel guilty.
The Stablemaster nodded, a grim look on his face. "I can see in your eyes that you have. Don't tell me, I didn't ask to find out or shame you all. Turns out, you're not alone. Everyone has sinned and done something wrong since the beginning of the world.
"And sins have terrible consequences. Friendships broken, people hurt, and death. Separation from God, our divine Father, for all eternity is the spiritual consequence.
"But God didn't want us to be separated or wallow in our sins. That's why he sent Jesus, who came down and willingly died on the cross. Being perfect and the Son of God, Jesus took all of our sins upon himself, offering us a gift of grace. If one accepts this gift by accepting Jesus as his or her Lord and Savior, then God fully forgives the sins of the individual completely. No strings attached, no fine print, nothing. Complete forgiveness, acceptance, and love, not to mention the fact that we'll spend all eternity with God and Jesus in paradise. It can be very freeing knowing that you don't need to carry your sins anymore, you can leave them all with Jesus.
"That's why Christmas is so important and connected to gifts. Jesus needed a way to come to Earth, and the birth in Bethlehem was the way. Without Jesus being born, he wouldn't have died for us and wouldn't have risen from the dead, proving his claims and showing us all that the debt of sin is paid. Christmas celebrates that birth and the gift Jesus gave by dying on the cross for us. He loves us and is giving us a chance to come to him."
There was sheer silence from the group for a few seconds after the Stablemaster finished. Anna eventually coughed. "That's a very good story, sir."
The Stablemaster turned to her. "It's not just a story, Anna. The events are recorded in the Bible, which is the main book that discusses these details. Also, there are several ancient historians who mention Jesus, his death, and the claims of resurrection. Finally, it is recorded that Jesus' followers died painful deaths or suffered severe punishments for spreading the truth. Now who would die for a lie? If it was a con or lie, you'd expect those apostles to try making themselves important, rather than risking their lives to tell a tale that doesn't benefit themselves. If you ask me, I think there's more truth to this story than many folktales told at the fireplace."
Elsa was stunned. She had definitely not heard this story before. A man claiming to be the Son of God, who was crucified and rose from the dead. It seemed so impossible and yet so logical at the same time. A resurrection should be so easy to disprove, yet there didn't seem to be any other explanations that explained how a man could appear dead and rise again after three days fully healed.
It was something Elsa needed to investigate when she got back. The Hobo had had a point about looking into something, regardless of how impossible it seems. Elsa determined to pour through the historical documents and the Bible that described these events, determine=ing logically if the events surrounding Jesus and his apostles backed up the events in question.
The Conductor nodded. "This history gets me every time I hear it. It's so amazing the gift God gave us." He looked down at his pocket watch, slightly gasping. "Is that the time? We need to get back to the passenger car." He turned to the Stablemaster. "Good luck with your food run."
The Stablemaster nodded. "Same to you."
Olaf looked over to the Stablemaster. "Can we help feed the animals? You said 'maybe later' before, and it is later."
The Stablemaster nodded. "I did say that, didn't I." He shrugged. "Well, I don't see the harm in that. So long as it's alright with you?" the Stablemaster asked, turning to the Conductor.
The Conductor nodded, turning to the group. "So long as you either stay in the passenger car or the stables. We don't want any more crazy adventures."
Olaf nodded. "I will."
The Conductor nodded. "Then it's alright with me."
Olaf grinned. "Thank you so much, sir."
Jack nodded. "I'll come too. I'm interested to see what kinds of animals you've got."
"Me too," Anna added.
Elsa smiled. "I'll admit, the stables themselves are one area I was rather curious about. We've come this far. Why not see all aspects?"
The Stablemaster grinned. "Always could use an extra set of hands." With that, he grabbed the carrots and led the group out of the toy car. Elsa couldn't be sure, but she thought she saw a beam of moonlight shining down on the miniature figure of Jesus in the Nativity toy. Seemed rather fitting, in a way.
I did mention I would be bringing this subject up here and there. It's very important to go over all aspects of Jesus, as without knowing why He came to us, how do we understand why His birth is significant. Thank you all for continuing to read this story. As always, please rate and review.