Lost in Space: A Modern Christmas Carol

Lost in Space is an exciting space-travel show (based on the 1960s show) with a surprising Christmasy theme.  To be fair, I do not recall a single time in the Netflix series Lost in Space where they mention Christmas. There are no religious undertones within the show either. In fact, it’s a very decidedly humanistic message that focuses on the strength of character and intellect to win the day. Despite this, there is a clear “Christmas Carol”ian theme–the possibility of change.

How Can This Be?

Christmas is all about hope. Even in the cheesy Christmas movies that do not acknowledge Christ at all, the emphasis is on belief and hope either in humanity or in Santa.  This past weekend we watched a Christmas musical called “The Gift of Christmas” put on by a local, Christian group. They wrote the play… Continue reading How Can This Be?

Waiting for God During Your Silent Night

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

Grumpy Old Men and Hallmark Christmas Movies: Exhausted by Change

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