Chapel Blog
Contentment not Consumption
‘Tis the season for Christmas movies!
There is a pattern in Christmas movies where the main character is singled out for having special characteristics. These unique abilities launch them on a journey of self-discovery. Christmas movies, in particular, end with a cathartic, “Ahhh!” as the main character gets what he/she wants, and everything is at peace once again.
Scott Calvin becomes the Santa Clause by accident, but then becomes the Santa Clause through transformation.
Buddy is actually a human living with elves who merely tolerate him, but his quirkiness wins him the girl, his father, and acceptance back into the elf community.
Kevin is a strong-willed child picked on by his family, but his strength turns out to be the virtue that protects him, and his family all see it in the end...until the next year.
Clark Griswold is a conscientious employee with great ideas, and he “deserves a bonus,” and that’s just what he gets in the end.
The boy who doubts Santa, is also the one who finds the lost ticket and gets the first gift of Christmas. In the end, the conductor changes his name from “Doubter” to “Believer” and he can still hear the bell at Christmas...ding, ding, ding...
“Ahhh!”
These stories “feel” right because they’re based on truth. In the real story of Christmas, the messenger from God comes to Mary, and tells her she’s highly favored by God (Luke 1:28), and let’s her know the Messiah will be coming through her. And He, Jesus, will bring lasting peace.
At Christmas, we want to be reminded of the transcendent story of Jesus’ birth, we long to remember the transcendent truth of God’s love for us. But over time, we’ve dropped the part about the savior and replaced Him with Santa, and we’ve lost the fact that Mary was favored by God and made it about Clark Griswold’s merit and Scott Calvin’s broken family.
What have we done?!?
C. S. Lewis, in The Weight of Glory, isn’t specifically writing about Christmas but seems to really challenge our tendency to miss the meaning of the season, when he said, “It would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”
In Isaiah 9:6-7 it was prophesied about Jesus, the Messiah, these powerful words, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.”
Peace is not something we can find inside ourselves or on Amazon, even if our Christmas classics try to imply it with Cousin Eddie, the savior of the Griswold family Christmas.
God is the bringer of peace. Christmas is the time to pause and focus on the story of Jesus, the Prince of Peace, coming to bring hope, renewal, and salvation to all who believe. Don’t settle for cheap knock-off stories and simply buying more stuff this year; don’t be so easily pleased. Instead, ‘tis the season to lift our eyes a little higher and remember the greatest story ever told, and the gift of salvation purchased by the God who humbled himself to become a baby in the manger.
Westminster Christian School, located in Palmetto Bay, Florida, is a private, college-preparatory school for children from preschool through twelfth grade.