The Nativity Story

We just came from seeing the film, The Nativity Story. It was a beautiful film and true to the Gospel (even for Hollywood).

The movie pulls no punches and does not hide anything. "...God has become flesh..." says one of the wise men. Not this will be a great leader or this man will change the world.

Favorite scene was in the manger when a ragged, dirty looking Shepard came up to Jesus and hesitantly reached out to touch the baby. He was reaching out to touch the hope he had been longing for all his life. He had found it in this baby, and cried in gratitude.

The theater was surprisingly empty. I'm not sure if it was poor advertising or if Christians were turned off by the news about the girl who plays the role of Mary being pregnant in real life. I fear the latter to be the case.


Maybe I'm not a good person. That must be it. Maybe I'm not cynical about the right things, or judgemental enough about other peoples sins; if I was I was I would be a better Christian. Maybe it would have been better if I didn't go see the movie. That way when people asked me if I saw it I could say something that sounded smart and pious like, "Well the film lacks historical integrity, and I can't support a film where the main actress playing the role of the blessed mother of Christ is actually living in sin."

We westernized Christians can be so shallow and silly (and those eastern Christians are pretty wacky, too). We lack depth because our belief is limited to walking down the aisle (the conversion conveyor belt) to accept Christ as Savior, so we can begin our life of "being good".

Anyway, please don't be a retard, and just go see this movie with your family. Enjoy it. It is a beautiful Christmas story. It is the Christmas story.