Chicago bars Christ from Christmas
Chicago Tribune: No room in Chicago for “Nativity Story”
The makers of the film, The Nativity Story, were dropped as sponsors of the Christkindlemarket festival in Chicago because “it was too commercial”.
I have to admit that it’s the first time that I’ve heard someone say that keeping Christ in Christmas was commercial.
I encourage EVERYONE (maybe excepting young children who might be frightened by some scenes such as the Slaughter of the Holy Innocents) to see this movie. It’s a Christian story … but it’s more than that. It offers hope for EVERYONE, especially those who have ever asked the question “Is this all there is?”
[tags]chicago, christkindlmarket, nativity story, movie, Christ, christmas, faith, christian, catholic[/tags]
Give yourself the gift of a meaningful Christmas.
I went to see The Nativity Story last night, opening night. As a recently baptized Christian, I will tell you that this was a most welcomed, meaningful and revolutionary movie for me. It centers around the mother of Our Lord, Jesus Christ.
A superbly crafted and thoughtfully directed movie, it deserves a high rating. It is an unprecedented tribute to a woman who has been relegated to backdrop scenes. Finally, Mary gets to have a movie about her spiritual journey. In my own life, Mary was in the far distant background, giving her fleeting thought if I came across a Nativity scene at Christmas or if I heard the Beatles song, “Let It Be”:
“When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me, speaking words of wisdom, let it be. And in my hour of darkness she is standing right in front of me, speaking words of wisdom, let it be.”
It was made for a certain niche — the ~200 million or so Americans who consider themselves Christians. Two years ago, I was not in this niche, being “spiritual, but not religious.” Long story, short, it was Mary who pointed me to her Son, lead me on my own spiritual journey and caused a revolution in my heart, mind and soul.
Those who take the time to learn about her and her role do not, as I was mislead to believe, worship her. They simply respect and venerate her. Leading folks to her Son, as I learned, is her job. In this movie, her character is doing exactly that again for me and viewers who are called to see it.
Ever since she lead me home, Christmas has taken on such meaning as I never imagined. This year, I’ve started the season — called the Advent season — with a faith-based movie that allowed me to slide right into it in a beautiful, gentle and do I dare say, beatific way.
This movie experience is an exquisite gift for the heart and soul. Moreover, it is a feast for the eyes. I went past the inanimate objects of Nativity displays to a visually rich and “fleshed” out Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, shepherds, Magi and stable animals. The director of the movie, Catherine Hardwick, referred to a line in the script: “…the greatest of kings born in the most humble of places.”
“Power,” she says, “is not a physical power. It’s not riches, it’s not money, it’s not control of governments and nations. It’s a deeper power, spirituality.”
At the end of the movie, the audience burst out in spontaneous applause. For each of us, Christmas is not at all about holiday parties, frenzied shopping and the trappings and physical accouterments. Now, THAT’S revolutionary.
When this comes out in DVD, it will be a part of our yearly Christmas tradition, reminding us what it is all about.
“Merry Christ-mas!” I hope you will make it meaningfully merrier by giving yourself this movie experience of the life of Mary.
D said this on December 2nd, 2006 at 10:26 pm
I saw this movie Saturday morning, December 2nd (the morning after it came out).
I too thought it was a wonderful movie.
I will post a fuller review in the next few days.
Thanks for your comments.
Matt said this on December 3rd, 2006 at 8:40 am