This Advent I have been struck by the image of Mary and Joseph alone when Mary gave birth to Jesus. Hebrew women have been midwives for each other for centuries before Jesus was born, and in the crowded town of Bethlehem, surrounded by relatives, there is no chance the women let Mary give birth alone. The text doesn’t say much about the birth, as it was written by men. We have to use our imagination. I imagine that barn full of busy women and Midwives caring for Mary and Jesus that night.