ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM

 

[This Christmas trilogy I produced in collaboration with ChatGPT, a new cutting-edge AI chatbot. I put up the creative elements of the stories – characters, plot, setting, theme, point of view and style through instructions. ChatGPT took care of the basic elements of writing – paragraphs, transitions, appropriate language and tone, grammar, spelling, and punctuations – and generated the whole piece.]

PROLOGUE

Once upon a time in the little town of Bethlehem, three neighbors – an innkeeper, an atheist, and a father – got together at the innkeeper’s birthday celebration. Serendipitously, as they chatted, they came to know, on the spur of the moment, that they all had an amazing experience on the same night many years ago.

They all heard the cry of a baby from a manger nearby, and each of their lives had been changed awesomely. As they shared their stories, they realized that they were not alone in going through such an amazing experience. This Christmas trilogy tells the tale of how the impact of hearing the cry of baby Jesus transformed the trio’s lives.

[Instruction 1. Could you compose a personal story of an innkeeper who narrates to his friends about an unforgettable event that happened many years ago when he turned away a couple with pregnant wife, then later that night he was awakened and irritated by the cry of a baby coming from a manger nearby? That cry of the baby he had heard which he learned later from others was the birth of the Savior that changed his life.]

INNKEEPER STORY (ChatGPT Generated)

One evening, a couple knocked on my door, seeking a room for the night. The woman was heavily pregnant and they seemed desperate for a place to stay. But I had no room available and I turned them away.

I went back to bed, but I couldn’t sleep. The cry of a baby kept waking me up. It was coming from a manger nearby, where we kept the animals. I was annoyed. I thought it was one of the animals making noise and disturbing my sleep. But as the cries grew louder and more persistent, I realized it was a human baby.

I got out of bed and followed the sound to the manger. And there, lying in the straw, was a newborn baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes and surrounded by a group of shepherds. They told me that a Savior was born, the Messiah and the Lord.

At first, I couldn’t believe it. I had turned away a couple with a pregnant wife just hours earlier, and now a Savior had been born in my stable.

After that extraordinary night, I committed to never turning away anyone in need again. I also made it a point to treat everyone with kindness and respect, no matter who they were or where they came from. I saw that birth as my second chance.

Over the years, I have welcomed countless travelers into my inn. My life has been forever changed by that cry of a baby in the manger, and I am grateful for such a second chance given to me.

[Instruction 2. Could you compose a personal story of an atheist who narrates to his friends about an unforgettable event that happened many years ago in which one night he dreamed he was thinking of ending his life because of his incurable cancer amid his lonely life of being alone when all of a sudden he heard a cry of a baby from a manger nearby? In his dream, he took a peek at what’s going on inside the manger and saw the newly-born baby. When he woke up the next day, his attitudes in life changed. He later heard that morning from other folks that a baby was born that night in the manger and said to be the Savior. He thought God gave him the last chance to restore his belief in the Creator.]

ATHEIST’S STORY (ChatGPT Generated)

            It was a dark and lonely night. I had been struggling with cancer for years, and I had reached my lowest point. I was lying in my bed, thinking about how tired I was of fighting when I suddenly fell into a deep sleep.

In my dream, I found myself standing outside in a cold, dark field. It was quiet, except for the sound of a baby crying in the distance. I followed the sound until I came upon a small manger, where I saw a newborn baby lying inside.

As I stood there, staring at the tiny, fragile life before me, I felt a sense of peace wash over me. It was as if the baby was telling me that everything was going to be alright and that there was still hope.

When I woke up the next morning, I felt renewed and refreshed. I no longer felt the despair and hopelessness that had consumed me the night before.

As I went about my day, I couldn’t help but wonder if the dream had been more than just a dream. I had heard that there was a baby born in the manger where I saw the newborn in my dream. Could it be that God had sent me a message in my sleep?

I don’t know for sure, but what I do know is that the experience changed my life. It gave me a new perspective on my struggles and helped me to see that there is always hope, no matter how dark things may seem.

Since that fateful night, I have come to believe that God gives us many chances to restore our faith in Him. He is always there, watching over us and guiding us on our journey. And even though I may still face challenges and struggles in my life, I know that I am never alone and that with faith and perseverance, I can overcome anything.

[Instruction 3. Could you compose a personal story of a poor father of four small kids who narrates to his friends about an unforgettable event that happened many years ago he was coming home one night to his family waiting for him and his usual routine of bringing home something for dinner? Unfortunately, that night, he had nothing to bring home because no one had hired him that day as a hired laborer. While walking home, he’s angry with himself and worried about his empty stomach and of his wife and children.

As he came closer to home, he’s feeling desperate and didn’t know what to do when, all of a sudden, he heard a cry of a baby from a manger nearby. He met some shepherds who told him about the newly-born baby. He kneeled in the middle of the road and prayed to God. He got home where he found his wife cooking a little from out of their last reserves. The following morning, an innkeeper knocked at the door looking for him to help renovate the stable where the baby was born. The father was glad for the new job offered by the innkeeper and thanked God.]

FATHER’S STORY (ChatGPT Generated)

I was walking home with a heavy heart on that one cold night. I had been out all day, looking for work as a hired laborer, but no one had hired me. I had nothing to bring home for my family, and I knew my wife and four small children would be waiting for me, hungry and disappointed.

As I dragged myself on my way home, feeling angry and frustrated with myself, I heard the faint cry of a baby in the distance. I followed the sound until I came upon a small manger, where I saw a group of shepherds huddled around a newborn baby.

One of the shepherds, a kind-looking man noticed my distress and asked if I was okay. I told him about my family and my worries, and he listened patiently. Then he told me that the baby in the manger was the Messiah and Lord.

I was stunned. I had never been a religious man, but something about the shepherd’s words touched me deeply. I fell to my knees in the middle of the road and prayed to God, thanking Him for this miracle and asking for His help in my time of need.

When I got home, my wife managed to scrape together a little bit of food for our family’s dinner. I was overwhelmed with gratitude and love for her and our children.

The next morning, an innkeeper came knocking at our door, looking for me. He had heard about my hard work and dedication, and he offered me a job helping him renovate the stable where the baby had been born. I was overjoyed at the opportunity to provide for my family. You, my neighbor and friend, is that innkeeper, and I thank God for your generosity and kindness.

Looking back on that unforgettable night, I am filled with gratitude for the many blessings God has given me and my family. Though we may have struggled at times, we have always been able to rely on His love and guidance to see us through.

EPILOGUE

As the three neighbors came together reflecting on the mystery of hearing the cry of baby Jesus from the manger that fateful night, in many ways, the cry of the poor, the last, the least, and the lost in our society today, is just as powerful and transformative.

The real essence of such experience lies in the paradox that as we reach out to help others, we are also divinely empowered ourselves. Amid the noise and haste of this world, by answering the cry of the poor, we are transformed into a seemingly new different creation.

In celebrating this Christmas, may we all be inspired to listen to the cry of those in need and to open our hearts to the transformative power of love and compassion.

Merry Christmas!

Head still photo courtesy of pixabaydotcom