It’s the season for sappy Christmas movies, and we’ve been
watching quite a few on Netflix and Hulu. The pattern is predictable, most
often there’s a formula of heart ache and new love and in the end true love and
a sense of justice prevail. The movies portray Christmas as the magical time
when anything is possible, in that the goodness in people will triumph despite
all odds. Here’s the thing; though I know the perfect happy ending is coming I’m
still sucked into the story. The scripts are almost always a bit over the top,
a little silly and contrived. The
unrecognized artist or musician get their break or reinvigorate a lost passion.
The workaholic slows the pace of life down. The estranged father shows up just
in time to celebrate his daughter’s new designs. It’s magical, and I love it. I
think deep down we all do.
Go back to the classic Christmas movies of a Miracle on 34th
Street, or Holiday Inn and you find the same sappy formula. The very slim odds
of success are beaten, and love blossoms along the way. Time hasn’t changed
what society holds most dear – family, friends and love. The formula appears to
be fairly easy in film. Sure there are the plot foils to keep the interest, but
we all know the happy ending awaits us.
Real life is more challenging. Sure the goals are the same –
to have friends, family and love abound. The success in business and life are
still the desires of our hearts. Living off set with no script to follow is far
more difficult. Can you say plot twist? Life has a way of throwing us off
course in both little and huge ways. Jobs and careers are not always full in
our control. Health can be fleeting. Relationships can fail in so many ways.
That’s why these formulaic Christmas movies draw us in, we still hope and dream
of the Christmas miracle. The other aspect of these formulaic scripts is there
is always a point where a risk has to be taken. Risk in real life can be pretty
daunting, because unlike the movie, there is a chance of failure. That’s just
how it is.
I wonder though, if we all took a chance at living a
gracious and generous life what the world might look like. What would it look
like if we all slowed down, put the cell phones away and talked with each other?
What kind of community would we have if we gave each other the benefit of the
doubt? What might it be like if we all learned how to apologize? What results
could we have in our families if we could truly forgive and move forward
together? You can easily tell me I’m a dreamer, and I will not argue. Just tell
me though, what would it be like, and why can’t we all take a step in that
direction?
For me, I want to be a part of that formulaic script. I want
the friends and families that bring love to the equation. I want to share
generously, and love dangerously. I dare say we all do. For us Christians, as
imperfect and hypocritical as we are (we’re human after all), this time of year
brings focus on the grace of God through the birth of Christ. It’s the
foundation of Christmas- The Christmas Miracle. The Peanuts Christmas Story
tells and shows it in a wonderful way. That’s the spirit I think we all want to
capture, and in some ways that’s what all these movies are after. As I said, I
want to be part of that script.
Merry Christmas all,
And with that,
Good night.
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