RECOVERING THE PLOT OF CHRISTMAS
There are times when the story of Christmas feels forced or contrived. Sure, we can say “Jesus is the Reason for the Season.” And he is, but why do we feel the Christmas story needs so much extra dressing?
If it’s really that compelling of a story then we ought to be confident that it is one that can stand on its own. But year after year we prove that it doesn’t. Christmas is tied to stories, traditions and rituals; many of which have nothing to do with the story of Jesus.
This makes me wonder: If the story of Jesus, born of a Virgin, is so amazing then why is it that we only reflect on it once a year, and when we do barely give it a passing glance?
Perhaps it’s because we have lost the plot, and we have lost the plot because we have lost the backstory. When this happens the story no longer makes sense and is barely interesting anymore – any old story can take its place, even one that is not as good, because at least we can understand the plot.
It’s time for us to recover the story of Christmas, and as why the first Christmas was so miraculous that the angels felt compelled to sing? To do so, we have to begin with the backstory. As Robert McKee points out, “… we do not pull characters out of a void.” We explored this and more at Denver Community Church on the second Sunday of Advent.