A Story of Redemption: New Movie 'The Best Christmas Pageant Ever' Shines the Light of Christ
"Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the scriptures: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes’?" - Matt. 21:42
Whenever I look at a church, I see imperfect bricks, imperfect mortar, and imperfect art depicting heavenly and perfect things. The Bible verse above reminds me that the people who make the Church are just as flawed, but we reach up to Heaven to aspire to perfection.
Today, I am one of these imperfect stones reaching. As I sat down to dinner, my wife invited me to watch "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever." I must admit I have never read the book.
I am not a movie critic– forgive me. Just like the characters in the movie, I am out of my comfort zone.
"The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" is set in a time long before cell phones ravaged the land. It's also set in a small town that built its culture around faith. In changing times, the story springs up.
The director of a pageant gets wounded, and no one has the ability to direct except one eager mother (Grace, played by Judy Greer).
At the same time, another family (The Herdmans), whose kids would send shockwaves through any classroom, decides they want to be on the stage. The stones were being rejected. However, because the kids were rough around the edges they got their wish.
At this point, many people's flaws were revealed. Their distrust of the kids mirrored the kids' own behavior.
The mortar in the movie was imperfect as well. The eldest daughter (Imogene Herdman played by Beatrice Schneider), the meanest of the family, decided to keep all her brothers and sisters in snacks, but she kept them together. The director, a mother, was terrified that her reputation would be destroyed. She was the mortar to hold together the looming pageant disaster.
The movie then lets the spark of the Divine shine. The director's husband (Bob, played by Pete Holmes) takes a simple gift to the Herdmans. A pastor lends loving comfort and support to the director, allowing her to pass that support to the kids. And a painting of a perfect woman (Our Lady) inspires the eldest daughter to live up to the artwork God created us to be.
The husband, the pastor, the director, and the eldest daughter show the light of Christ. Their lives are not perfect. They are humble people.
As I sat and enjoyed the movie, my wife asked me what I thought. I loved it. Not quite as much as my favorite Christmas movie, "Ernest Saves Christmas," but I loved it because it was charming. My kids enjoyed it as well.
My wife's sharp mind quickly knew I had a lot to say.
It's a story of redemption. It's a story about every church play. It's a story about politics on a small scale. And it's a story about imperfect people picking up their cross to celebrate Jesus' birth.