Discovering God in Books, Movies, and Life
When we think of Christmas, it is easy to imagine the scene of Jesus’s arrival as a joyous time for all involved. Instead, history shows us that Israel was a powder keg and Jesus was in many ways a match to light it. Silent, But Not Calm Over two thousand years ago, the Roman Empire… Continue reading Waiting for God During Your Silent Night
When I was a kid, I used to be perplexed by what I considered the stodginess of elderly people. They seemed desperate to maintain their routines, angry even. This type of character is captured comically in Disney’s Up and beautifully in Frederick Bachman’s A Man Called Ove. In both stories, the main character, a man,… Continue reading Grumpy Old Men and Hallmark Christmas Movies: Exhausted by Change
It’s hard to wait. Right now, as I write this, I can think of three big things that I’m waiting for. I don’t like it. Everything within me wants to twist and lurch about in the reins, anything to feel like I’m moving closer to my goal. But that isn’t the way of God. Our… Continue reading Christmas Waiting
Many of you are aware that some of our cherished Christmas symbols (like the tree and the wreath) were originally a part of the pagan festival celebrated on December 25th. Instead of shunning these symbols, the early church adopted and transformed their meanings. No longer do they hold any hint of paganism to us--now the… Continue reading The Gift of Transformation
I’m a sucker for Christmas movies. Every year, the day after Thanksgiving our family pulls out the well-known Christmas movies such as Polar Express, Elf, and The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. Surprisingly, these Christmas movies and others dabble in issues of faith, hope, and deeper meaning within ritual. However, each of them falls short… Continue reading The Christmas Light
