By Damon Fontinel
This year I watched the movie “Spirited” starring Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds. Admittedly, I’m late to the party as this movie was released last year. But that is the great thing about Christmas movies, we get to watch them each year!
In this modern musical retelling of the familiar story “A Christmas Carol”, The Ghost of Christmas Present (Ferrell), contemplates retiring from his career as a soul saving life changer. To make a paradigm-shifting exit he chooses a client who is deemed “unredeemable”, a cynical consultant (Reynolds).
Now, while there are many layers to this movie, I was captured by the theme and thought-provoking term, “unredeemable”.
un·re·deem·able: unable to be redeemed or made better
Wow. To be cast as unredeemable. Someone that could not be made better. That struck me.
As we look at the world around us or reflect internally, we ask, can we be made better? Can I be made better? To be honest my gut answer might be - no.
Thankfully, it’s Christmas! A season full of joyful bliss and good tidings of great cheer and hidden beneath a very special gift that is sometimes overlooked.
The gift of redemption.
In another not so fictional story, a person many thought unredeemable, Paul (Saul of Tarsus), a persecutor of the early church, wrote these words:
"When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons." Galatians 4:4-5
These words, written by an unredeemable man, give us all hope that anyone, yes anyone, can be made better. But being made better for Paul didn’t come by following a set of rules or trying hard to be good. That was his life, “under the law”.
Instead, Paul was made better by first placing his faith in Jesus (who was the Son born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law), and receiving not three Christmas ghosts - but the Holy Spirit… the true meaning of being “spirited”.
May this season find you Spirited.
コメント