It’s a story that has been retold each year for countless generations. Now the Christmas story is about to be retold to a digital generation.
Fast forward two thousand years and the nativity story is now being brought to social media platforms Twitter and Facebook, aptly named, The Natwivity.
Step forward Mary, Joseph, three wise men, the dastardly King Herod, the Inn Keeper and a band of shepherds. From December 1 until Christmas Day, each character will post a 140-character daily update on Twitter and Facebook. By reading their daily tweets, followers can learn more about each of the character’s thoughts and feelings in the run-up to the birth of Jesus on December 25. Excerpts reveal Mary’s angst as she rides on a donkey over the hills of Bethlehem right through to the night the shepherds saw their familiar hills illuminated by a host of angels.
Among the team writers is Paul Kerensa, a stand-up comedian, writer and tweeter. Paul, who co-wrote BBC’s sitcom Not Going Out, says: “Although I am familiar with the story, tweeting the nativity play is a great way to rediscover it afresh as there are always new angles to explore.”
The Natwivity has been made possible through collaboration between Share Creative, a creative design company, and the Evangelical Alliance. Huw Tyler, of Share Creative, says: “We hope that all people, irrespective of their beliefs, will find something new to them in this familiar story.”
Followers can visit www.natwivity.com and see the story unfold at Twitter or Facebook.
The play is suitable for people of all ages and backgrounds.