For many of us, Christmas is about a very special holy child born two thousand years ago. For children today, Christmas is also about a magical visit from a jolly man with a white beard who delivers toys to children all over the world on Christmas Eve. At Christmas, children believe in miracles, but even children can sometimes have their doubts.
A few years ago, there was a movie about a young boy who had serious doubts about Santa Claus. If Santa had visited his house on Christmas Eve, surely he would have heard the sound of silver bells on Santa’s sleigh. The movie is called ‘The Polar Express’; it is based on a children’s book of the same name by Chris van Allsburg. This movie was created completely with digital technology. It has been added to the list of Christmas movies because it is so exciting and because it also has a spiritual message hidden in its story.
Like many Christmas stories, ‘The Polar Express’ begins on Christmas Eve. It’s one hour before midnight, and the young boy is awakened by the clamour of a massive steam train, which mysteriously stops in front of his house. The conductor tells him that the train is taking boys and girls to the North Pole to see Santa Claus, and he has been chosen to be a passenger. The boy hesitates. He’s not sure there is a Santa Claus, but he decides to get on board to find out.
The journey becomes an exciting adventure as the train races to reach the North Pole by midnight. The animated graphics of the movie are amazingly realistic and a thrill to watch, even for grown-ups. When they reach the North Pole, they discover a one-industry town full of elves who have the production and packaging of toys for every child down to split-second timing. Santa’s sleigh with prancing reindeer is brought out in readiness for its around-the-world travels. The long harness on the reindeer has rows of silver bells. The boy can see the bells, but he cannot hear them.
Finally, Santa steps out, and a great cheer goes up from the elves and the children. Suddenly, the boy can hear the bells and what a wonderful sound they make! Santa chooses the boy to receive the first gift of Christmas, anything he would like to have. He chooses a silver bell.
At one point in his ministry, Jesus said that unless we have faith like a child, we will not see the Kingdom of Heaven. Perhaps he was saying that belief in the possibility of God requires the willingness to accept what cannot be explained. At Christmastime, we hear again the stories of the birth of Jesus, and they have become so familiar that we may forget how miraculous they are. Can we believe that the baby in the manger was both human and the Son of God?
In this technological 21st century, how can we believe that such a supernatural story happened, even if it was 2000 years ago? As we go about our daily lives with the joys and tragedies of human life, we may not wonder about the unseen existence of God, but sometimes we want to believe in what seems impossible, and we long for hope in a peaceful and kinder world.
An Exciting Christmas Adventure
For many of us, Christmas is about a very special holy child born two thousand years ago. For children today, Christmas is also about a magical visit from a jolly man with a white beard who delivers toys to children all over the world on Christmas Eve. At Christmas, children believe in miracles, but even children can sometimes have their doubts.
A few years ago, there was a movie about a young boy who had serious doubts about Santa Claus. If Santa had visited his house on Christmas Eve, surely he would have heard the sound of silver bells on Santa’s sleigh. The movie is called ‘The Polar Express’; it is based on a children’s book of the same name by Chris van Allsburg. This movie was created completely with digital technology. It has been added to the list of Christmas movies because it is so exciting and because it also has a spiritual message hidden in its story.
Like many Christmas stories, ‘The Polar Express’ begins on Christmas Eve. It’s one hour before midnight, and the young boy is awakened by the clamour of a massive steam train, which mysteriously stops in front of his house. The conductor tells him that the train is taking boys and girls to the North Pole to see Santa Claus, and he has been chosen to be a passenger. The boy hesitates. He’s not sure there is a Santa Claus, but he decides to get on board to find out.
The journey becomes an exciting adventure as the train races to reach the North Pole by midnight. The animated graphics of the movie are amazingly realistic and a thrill to watch, even for grown-ups. When they reach the North Pole, they discover a one-industry town full of elves who have the production and packaging of toys for every child down to split-second timing. Santa’s sleigh with prancing reindeer is brought out in readiness for its around-the-world travels. The long harness on the reindeer has rows of silver bells. The boy can see the bells, but he cannot hear them.
Finally, Santa steps out, and a great cheer goes up from the elves and the children. Suddenly, the boy can hear the bells and what a wonderful sound they make! Santa chooses the boy to receive the first gift of Christmas, anything he would like to have. He chooses a silver bell.
At one point in his ministry, Jesus said that unless we have faith like a child, we will not see the Kingdom of Heaven. Perhaps he was saying that belief in the possibility of God requires the willingness to accept what cannot be explained. At Christmastime, we hear again the stories of the birth of Jesus, and they have become so familiar that we may forget how miraculous they are. Can we believe that the baby in the manger was both human and the Son of God?
In this technological 21st century, how can we believe that such a supernatural story happened, even if it was 2000 years ago? As we go about our daily lives with the joys and tragedies of human life, we may not wonder about the unseen existence of God, but sometimes we want to believe in what seems impossible, and we long for hope in a peaceful and kinder world.
The Reverend Canon Dr. Sharyn Hall is an honorary member of the clergy at Christ's Church Cathedral, Hamilton.
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