It’s Christmas Eve, you’re sitting here inside a church and I’m standing up here in front of all of you. And so, it’s time to talk about Jesus, the miracle of his birth, of the divine taking on the form of a human infant, and light finally entering into a darkened world. It’s time to talk about Jesus… obviously.

But… I do like all the other stuff too. The music, the decorations, the colorful lights in our neighborhoods, the holiday specials and movies, and here’s a confession… I’m actually starting to like the Hallmark Channel Christmas movies too, even though after the first ten minutes, you pretty much know exactly what is going to happen by the end in every single one of them.

Yes, I like all of it.

What are your favorite Christmas movies and shows?

I myself am a fan of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the animated version of course, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, It’s a Wonderful Life, and even Elf. Elf has actually grown on me over the years.

Yet I find myself asking… why? Why do I like these? Are they masterpieces, compelling stories, true works of art that must be seen over and over again? I wouldn’t say so. Yet why? Why do I like them so much and why do I want to see them year after year?

I believe it’s because of the fundamental message that they all contain.

Let’s take Rudolph, a down and out reindeer with an awkward problem. Rudolph is bullied and misunderstood, yet he has an opportunity to use his disadvantage to become the true hero of the story.

The Grinch is a despicable, dark character who comes to learn that love and fellowship are far, far more important than material possessions.

George Bailey, the main character in It’s a Wonderful Life, is hopeless and despairing. At the single lowest moment of his life, he is given the gift of learning that his life meant more than he had known or could have ever imagined.

And even Buddy, a lost and abandoned elf from the North Pole, has an opportunity to teach others a valuable lesson about love and acceptance.

These are four popular Christmas stories that have nothing to do with the birth of Jesus. They are all pretty dark and depressing stories, yet I wonder if the reason they are so popular is because many of us can so easily relate to the characters, whether that’s because we feel might awkward and misunderstood, like Rudolph sometimes… or even more than sometimes, or find ourselves drawn toward the depths of darkness, like the Grinch, become hopeless or despairing, like George Bailey, or feel lost and abandoned, like Buddy the elf? I wonder if one of the reasons they are so popular is because all of the main characters overcome the darkness and find hope and redemption in the light?

We are all together here in this church tonight because we are celebrating the true light that came into the world. We believe that Jesus is the best source of light that ever has or ever will be. Because that baby child born to Mary and Joseph in today’s Gospel would go on to teach others, to show others, just exactly what this light could do. He even gave his own life in the process.

We have many choices in our lives and God shows us over and over again that we are free to make them. We can become disciples or we don’t have to. We are not puppets, we are completely free to choose and do what we want. Rudolph, the Grinch, George Bailey, and Buddy had important choices to make and ultimately, they chose the light. Mary didn’t have to say yes to the invitation from God. Joseph didn’t have to take them in and shield them from harm. But they all chose the light.

The loving Father who sent his son to us longs for us, searches for us, and calls out to us. Tonight, on this night, we look up to the heavens and see the great star, feel its glow, and acknowledge that he always reaches out to us, no matter how lost we might get or how far away from him we become. He reaches toward us… and we can reach back to him if we so choose.

He sent his son to lighten our way. It’s up to all of us whether to follow.