Daniel Im

Pastor + Author

christmas

If there’s no God…

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If there’s no God, then when it really matters, there’s no rule book and no umpire to make the call on who’s right and who’s wrong.

If there’s no God and we’re merely a sophisticated species of animal, then we have to do things the same way animals do. We have to fight.

If there’s no God, then the biggest, loudest, stubbornest player wins. We see this on the world stage. We see it in the school playground. We see it in our offices and our homes. And so any peace we enjoy is always brittle and often broken.

Is there any way we can say that there is such a thing as right and wrong, rather than just “the strongest wins”?

It’s in light of this that the Christmas story is good news, because what Christmas says is There is a God. There is a reference point. And therefore, there can be peace. – Sam Chan

If you’re missing peace in your life (or know someone who is), I want to invite you to read through this short 63 page book by my friend, Sam Chan.

The Missing Peace: How Christmas Brings the Calm We Crave

A Lonely Christmas

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Every year, classics like The Grinch, Elf, and Home Alone make their rounds in homes decorated with tinsel and Christmas cheer.

And while nostalgia might be the primary reason we have these films on repeat, many of us don’t often take the time to examine how these story lines might be shaping us.

Let’s take Home Alone as an example.

Beyond the laughs, gags, and slapstick comedy, have you ever considered the underlying narrative that this movie is trying to communicate?

Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not about to boycott Christmas movies—they are some of my favorite films. But there’s a big difference between watching them with a discerning eye and passively letting them shape our minds and hearts.

Underneath it all, Home Alone is celebrating and shining the spotlight on the age old lie of self-sufficiency.

Just consider the fact that Kevin McAllister decides to take on the two cat burglars himself. He doesn’t call for help. Instead, he takes matters into his own hands and outsmarts the burglars. Remember how he put a life size cutout of Michael Jordan on a train? And a mannequin on the record player? Genius.

And even later on when the cat burglars realize that Kevin is all by himself, Kevin still decides that he’s the king of his castle and the master of his own destiny.

If you’re interested in digging deeper, you can watch the sermon that I preached on this movie here to see how the parable of the rich man is a fascinating response to this age old lie of self-sufficiency.

But here’s the thought regarding self-sufficiency that I want to leave you with: Isolation is the end result of disconnection.

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The (Hidden) Theology and History of O Come O Come Emmanuel

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If anyone had a side hustle or a gig, it was the Anglican priest and hymn writer, John Mason Neale.

Neale (1818-1866) not only founded a nursing order of Anglican nuns, helped social welfare organizations care for orphans and young woman, and was a warden of Sackville college, but he translated early and medieval Greek and Latin hymns in his spare time—focusing on the ancient ones that were written around “the feasts and the fasts of the Christian year.”[1]

He is most notably known for bringing us that beloved carol, O Come O Come Emmanuel.

While the hymn as we find it today was first published in the mid 19th century, its origins are actually found in a Benedictine Gregorian chant from the late 8th and 9th century. History tells us that beginning the week before Christmas, the monks would sing a verse a day to prepare their hearts and minds for Christmas.

What’s fascinating about the original seven verses is that each began with a Messianic title from the Scriptures that prophesied and foreshadowed Jesus’ coming:

  • O Sapentia (Wisdom)
  • O Adonai (God)
  • O Radix Jesse (Stem or root of Jesse)
  • O Clavis David (Key of David)
  • O Oriens (Dayspring)
  • O Rex genitium (King of the Gentiles)
  • O Emmanuel (God with us)

If you’re interested in how each verse points to Jesus, you can watch the sermon that I preached on this hymn at the bottom of this article.

[Read more…] about The (Hidden) Theology and History of O Come O Come Emmanuel