The Uniqueness of the Nativity at Christmas

Christmas evokes so many different memories for each of us. Savoring memories of the past I think of times with my mom and grandmother when I was young. Christmas Eves with hot chocolate and cookies that a neighbor had baked for us. Then when I was older baking cookies and muffins to give to others became a joy. Also there are memories of snowy nights in Ohio and Chicago as there was always a peacefulness of walking outside on a quiet snowy night. Of course now in Texas I am glad to have the snow memories without the snow now. There was also the enjoyment of Christmas lights. Whenever I was home from Chicago I would take my mom out driving to see the light displays as she always enjoyed that part of Christmas.

A few days ago as I drove my wife and daughter to see the Christmas lights at Windcrest, Texas I noticed the Nativity displays on the various lawns. The displays spoke to the message of Christmas from a Christian worldview. The Nativity speaks to the uniqueness of the Christion faith story. As we visited Rock Hills Gospel Church on this past Sunday, Pastor Bubba Collins message reiterated my thoughts as I pondered the Nativity displays we had seen. Instead of starting his message in the Gospels he started with Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” As he spoke he reminded me in his message that the story of Christmas goes back to the beginning. In the beginning God chose to make a unique creation where He gave humans free will to accept or reject Him.

As I have studied the various religions in the world they are man focused. Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and others are man striving and reaching out to God to somehow prove they are worthy in their good works. The newest religion of atheism tries to show humankind as the pinnacle of perfection. That is why you hear people say “I’m pretty good I have not murdered anyone. I think God will accept me”. But Jesus himself turned that thinking of our good works on its head as he said in Matthew 5:21-22 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder,[a] and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause[b] shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.” In ourselves we cannot be good enough for a perfect God.

The Nativity story speaks to God’s love and mercy to bring us as sinners into right relationship with Him through Christ the Son. It is as simple as the popular verse John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” It is not man reaching up to God in trying to show how good we are. The true story is of God reaching down to mankind with his love to rebuild a broken relationship that began with mankind’s choices in the beginning of the book of Genesis.
Take time to think of this during this Christmas time. I close off with one of my favorite Christmas songs by John Michael Talbot. Reflect on his lyrics.

Wonderful Counselor by John Michael Talbot (Click on Title to hear the song on Youtube.)
For unto us a child is born a son is given
Come holy Spirit come Father this Child
The virgin Mary shall be his mother
And his name shall be called Emanuel

Sing hallelujah to the wonderful Counselor
Sing hallelujah to the mighty God
Sing hallelujah to the Father forever
Sing hallelujah to the true Prince of peace

Understanding He will come, come with compassion
Come to forgive all of the world of Sin
And he will save all of the weak and tender hearted
And the weak forever shall dwell in their land

Sing hallelujah to the wonderful Counselor
Sing hallelujah to the mighty God
Sing hallelujah to the Father forever
Sing hallelujah to the true Prince of peace

So let us beat all our swords into plowshares
And let the wolf come be the guest of the Lamb
And let the song of all the worlds nations be peaceful
Worship the child come to the world in Bethlehem

Sing hallelujah to the wonderful Counselor
Sing hallelujah to the mighty God
Sing hallelujah to the Father forever
Sing hallelujah to the true Prince of peace

Reflection: Whatever your worldview what are your favorite Christmas memories? What do you think of the Christian story of God reaching down to humankind in love? Living More Than OK (Click title to purchase) is a great book to start the New Year with.

Lessons in Cinemetherapy from Wonder

With the craziness of ending the college semester I have been away from my blog. As I finish giving my students their final exams I thought I would share some thoughts on a movie my family and I saw a few weeks ago. The movie was Wonder. It is based on the book of the same name by the author, R. J. Palacio (Can’t forget the book order it here!). As a family we were amazed and I felt this should be a family classic. The movie follows a family through a year of their son transitioning from home schooling to a middle school. The son, Auggie, was born with a rare physical deformity that affects his appearance.

Of course Auggie being the central character, his concerns are in the forefront. The movie is an excellent study on the topic of bullying as Auggie was faced with rejection and being made fun of by the students at the school. Yet the movie is much more than an anti-bully movie. The story speaks to the importance of real friendship. There is a positive look at how a family works together in dealing with life difficulties. As a counselor I appreciated the in-depth look at the lives and back story of the various characters. The older sister realistically shows what siblings go though in a family with a special needs child of how forgotten they feel. Married couples can also learn from the parents in the movie how to be supportive of each other during life difficulties.

This was one of those movies that made me reflect back to my Masters in Counseling program when we lived in Brownsville, Texas. One of my professors, Dr. Selma Yznaga at UT Brownsville, (now UT Rio Grande Valley), shared with us in her classes about the benefits of Cinematherapy. She revealed to us how movies can speak to the power of stories to clients. In the movie, Wonder, there are many topics as I stated about that relate to the stories people live out in their daily lives. Movies can have a transforming effect as we connect with the purpose of the story and connect with the characters in a movie. We learn and transform through the power of story.

Dr. Birgit Wolz in the introduction to her book, E-Motion Picture Magic, says this about the power of movies: “As a therapist, I believe the movie experience used in a very specific way can have great healing benefits for those who are willing to apply themselves. I also believe that this experience can be fun” (p5). As a family we have often have learned and also enjoyed the experience of discussing a movie once we have seen it together. I have also had success with teen and child clients when discussing a movie that meant a lot to them.

This movie with its story line that touches on bullying, also provoked my mind to think about an old friend from high school days in Barberton, Ohio, Dr. Ron Graham. He is active in helping schools on the issue of bullying. He was a contributor with Kelly Karius in a book titled, No Such Thing As A Bully (purchase it on Amazon). It is a great resource for counselors, teachers, and parents. Their website for the book and their program is -- http://nosuchthingasabully.com. I encourage anyone interested in bullying to check out their book and website.

Back to the movie, as I do not want to pigeon hole it as just an anti-bully movie. As you go to watch it, (put this down as a must see movie), keep in mind the title, WONDER, and reflect on how to add more wonder in your own life journey! My book, Living More Than OK (click to purchase) has within its pages principles to live a Wonder-filled life. There is still time to order it as a Christmas gift for a friend or yourself.

Reflection: What comes to your mind when you quiet your mind and reflect on the word WONDER? How can you build more wonder in your life? What are some best ways to counter bullying in society?