I confess that I am somewhat of a sentimental fool when it comes to Christmas cartoons and Christmas movies. Tara and I own a good number of them on DVD and watch them every year around this time. One of the things that I have noticed about many of the best known Christmas cartoons and movies is the way in which they often revolve around expectations that are either shattered or, if not shattered, then radically redirected.
In “A Charlie Brown Christmas”, for example, Charlie Brown expects to be despised and humiliated when his sickly Christmas tree bows under the weight of a single ornament. But his expectations are radically redirected when he discovers that the other children have decorated his tree in such a way that the tree becomes something beautiful.
Charlie Brown expected failure. What he found was an unexpected success.
When Bob Cratchit arrives at the offices of Scrooge and Marley on the day after Christmas, he expects to find the same parsimonious and abrasive Ebenezer Scrooge that had been there every other day. But Bob Cratchit’s expectations are radically redirected when he discovers that Ebenezer Scrooge has had a conversion experience, one that inspires him to raise Bob Cratchit’s salary.
Bob Cratchit expected the same old Scrooge. What he found was an unexpected new man.
When the Grinch steals all the presents and decorations from Whoville, he expects all the who’s down in whoville to cancel Christmas. But his expectations are radically redirected when he realizes that the who’s down in Whoville are singing all the louder on Christmas Day.
The grinch expected sadness. What he found was unexpected joy.
In it’s a wonderful life, George Bailey expects to be arrested when he arrives at his home. But his expectations are radically redirected when he realizes that his friends have collected money on his behalf. George Bailey expected imprisonment. What he found was unexpected friendship.
And in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Clark W. Griswold expects his 25,000 imported Italian twinkle lights to light up. But his expectations are radically redirected when, with the entire family standing on his front lawn, he plugs in the lights and nothing happens.
Clark W. Griswold expected bright lights. What he found was darkness.
So many of the best known Christmas cartoons and movies, you see, revolve around expectations that are shattered, or, if not shattered, radically redirected. Maybe that should come as no surprise to us. Because, after all, the story at the heart of Christmas, is a story that also revolves around redirected expectations. My hunch is that thousands of people in first century Palestine expected their messiah to manifest himself as an heroic military leader or as a radiantly majestic monarch. But their expectations were radically redirected when the Messiah arrived as an infant in swaddling clothes. Some were expecting a General or a King to come out of the messianic arrival. What they found was a vulnerable child.
A portion of Christmas music with which I am familiar puts it this way:
Some were expecting, some were expecting a militant Lord.
Who came with an army and ruled with a sword.
And some were expecting, some were expecting a dazzling array
Of bright lights and banquets and brilliant displays.
But God chose the silence, God chose the silence of a Bethlehem night
When he gave us himself, and he gave us his light.
I am thankful for a God who is not limited by the boundaries of our often myopic expectations.
I would have to look up a word if I wanted to comment!
do not forget “a christmas story”. that is great movie to watch also
A great post, Eric! Just what I’d “expect” from you! Have a blessed Christmas, brother!
I’m finding that expectations are where my problems start. I’m really trying to expect nothing and accept what is. It will take the rest of my life to make a dent in this spiritual task.