Buddy the Elf may be onto something (Part 1)
Last weekend, I hosted a dinner party for a group of friends where the menu contained something from the four "elf" food groups (candy, candy canes, candy corns, and.... syrup). The menu was actually quite good and the movie was of course hilarious.
It's also the only Will Ferrell movie that I'd allow my nieces to see without reservation.
The way that Buddy, the human raised by Christmas elves, acts in the movie is in many ways absurd. However, there is one scene that really got me thinking that Buddy the Elf has some great insight into something that many of us pass over at least once a week.
There is a scene where Buddy the Elf finds himself in the "North Pole" section of the "Macy's" department store, and the store manager walks in and announces to the store that they are closing and to be sure to get there tomorrow because "Santa's coming tomorrow"
And of course, if you've seen the scene, you know that Buddy goes nuts. He's excited as all get out.
The cute blonde girl he meets in the store isn't quite as jazzed about this. She's anxious to leave and get through another day (and realizes that it's not really Santa coming). Buddy doesn't see it this way... SANTA is coming to town and there is work to be done to be prepared for the big man's arrival. And the design and welcome package he prepares (courtesy of some of the items for sale in the store) is breathtaking.
We laugh, because it is ridiculous and Will Ferrell is a very funny guy. But it also got me thinking that Buddy the Elf was onto something... Santa coming town was a really, really, really big deal and he wasn't going to miss it. He knew how big and important this new visitor was and he was going to do everything in his power to make sure that everything was prepared.
This seems very different from the way a lot of us approach church.
Wait, where do you go from Buddy the Elf and Santa Claus to "church?"
Well, I've been in church world for a while now, and from my experience many of us approach church with a "oh whatever" attitude like the cute blonde girl or with a "I'm here doing my thing" attitude like the manager of the Macy's store there. But here's the deal... whenever a group of Christians get together in the name of Jesus... JESUS says that he's going to show up (Matthew 18:20). And... JESUS is much bigger (and more real) than Santa Claus. If we really "got" how huge a deal that is, we'd probably be as emotionally and physical engaged as Buddy the Elf was at Macy's when we get to church. We're in the presence of holiness, awesomeness, power, and grace all rolled up into One and if that doesn't make us happy then perhaps it's time to check where our heart is. Just saying.
Because as goofy and fun to laugh at as it was, when it came down to knowing when to get excited in the presence of someone who should be revered in a fictional sense he was spot on. Can we get very excited in a real sense when the authentic hope and joy of our lives is physically with us and actively at work in our lives?
I may actually learn to make those paper snowflakes.
It's also the only Will Ferrell movie that I'd allow my nieces to see without reservation.
The way that Buddy, the human raised by Christmas elves, acts in the movie is in many ways absurd. However, there is one scene that really got me thinking that Buddy the Elf has some great insight into something that many of us pass over at least once a week.
There is a scene where Buddy the Elf finds himself in the "North Pole" section of the "Macy's" department store, and the store manager walks in and announces to the store that they are closing and to be sure to get there tomorrow because "Santa's coming tomorrow"
And of course, if you've seen the scene, you know that Buddy goes nuts. He's excited as all get out.
The cute blonde girl he meets in the store isn't quite as jazzed about this. She's anxious to leave and get through another day (and realizes that it's not really Santa coming). Buddy doesn't see it this way... SANTA is coming to town and there is work to be done to be prepared for the big man's arrival. And the design and welcome package he prepares (courtesy of some of the items for sale in the store) is breathtaking.
We laugh, because it is ridiculous and Will Ferrell is a very funny guy. But it also got me thinking that Buddy the Elf was onto something... Santa coming town was a really, really, really big deal and he wasn't going to miss it. He knew how big and important this new visitor was and he was going to do everything in his power to make sure that everything was prepared.
This seems very different from the way a lot of us approach church.
Wait, where do you go from Buddy the Elf and Santa Claus to "church?"
Well, I've been in church world for a while now, and from my experience many of us approach church with a "oh whatever" attitude like the cute blonde girl or with a "I'm here doing my thing" attitude like the manager of the Macy's store there. But here's the deal... whenever a group of Christians get together in the name of Jesus... JESUS says that he's going to show up (Matthew 18:20). And... JESUS is much bigger (and more real) than Santa Claus. If we really "got" how huge a deal that is, we'd probably be as emotionally and physical engaged as Buddy the Elf was at Macy's when we get to church. We're in the presence of holiness, awesomeness, power, and grace all rolled up into One and if that doesn't make us happy then perhaps it's time to check where our heart is. Just saying.
Because as goofy and fun to laugh at as it was, when it came down to knowing when to get excited in the presence of someone who should be revered in a fictional sense he was spot on. Can we get very excited in a real sense when the authentic hope and joy of our lives is physically with us and actively at work in our lives?
I may actually learn to make those paper snowflakes.
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