This weekend I was up at my dad’s, and since my church up there was having their annual Christmas program (and meal afterward), dad came with me. They were supposed to do “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever”, but since most of their cast was sick or out of town, we watched the movie instead. Interesting concept, watching a movie in church.
If you’ve never seen it, here’s a quick overview of the story. The Herdmans are the absolute worst children in the world, as the narrator informs us in the beginning. They lie, steal, smoke, talk about women’s underwear, and in general terrorize the other kids in town. The only safe haven for the other kids is church, a place that the Herdmans would never visit. However, through several twists of fate, the awful Herdmans not only come to church, but manage to get cast in the annual Christmas Pageant. The other kids are resentful, the adults are scandalized, and the Herdmans are enjoying their newest powers of destruction.
During the rehearsals, it comes out that none of the Herdmans have heard the Christmas story. “Don’t you know who Jesus is?” They’re puzzled by this story of a baby King born in a barn, shocked at the lack of welcome he received, and share their opinion of what they would have done differently. As the play director states at one point, “this might be the first Christmas pageant where the shepherds beat up the Wise Men, and Mary runs off with the baby!”
As in all sappy Christmas movies (I’m a sucker for sappy Christmas, so I’ve seen more than my share!), the Herdmans have a change of heart and learn the true meaning of Christmas. In the end, they wind up teaching the children and adults some valuable lessons about true Christ love.
Now, I know the story is supposed to be about the Herdmans and their transformation, but while watching the movie, I couldn’t help but focus in on the church and other kids. One girl follows the Herdmans around, making notes of all their sins so she can show it to everyone when the play winds up being a failure. The adults try to have the pageant canceled. The only one fighting for the Herdmans is Grace, the pageant director. She didn’t ask to be in charge, she didn’t ask for the Herdmans to be in the play, but she’s determined to make this the best Christmas pageant ever.
How many times have the Herdmans come to our church? How have we treated them? How many other Herdmans are out there? People we judge based on their actions, yet we don’t consider that maybe they act that way simply because they don’t know any other way. People we don’t take time to speak to, let alone get to know. At one point, Grace’s children are complaining that they’re dirty and smelly. Their father points out that Mary and Joseph were that way too. Hungry, cold, smelly, dirty from traveling all that way on a donkey; alone and friendless in a strange town. And instead of a welcoming greeting, they’re forced to make do with a barn and a feed trough.
My wish this Christmas is that we all have a few Herdmans visit. And may we, like Grace, share with them the true reason behind this season of love, peace and hope.