Though much of Christmas nostalgia feels rooted in the past, sometimes a song, movie, or show emerges that feels like a modern classic. We’ve already discussed the chokehold Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” has on the Christmas season, but today, we’re going to look at the optimistic and joyful Elf.
Elf is a movie that wears its lighthearted and optimistic view of Christmas on its sleeves. The movie’s namesake, Buddy the Elf, is on a mission to reconnect with his real father, a grizzled businessman disconnected from the joy of Christmas. While he and other characters have a more cynical (or maybe just realistic) perspective on the holiday, they are swept up in the torrential flow of Christmas cheer and joy that comes from Buddy.
While Buddy’s unending optimism and joy can feel obnoxious at times, there’s an argument that his enthusiasm towards Christmas is what gives Elf its modern classic feel. In a week focused on the joy of Christmas and the arrival of the incarnated Jesus, there’s something about Buddy’s unshakeable Christmas cheer that draws us in as the audience.
It’s no secret that Christmas isn’t always the happiest time for everyone; loneliness, dysfunctional family dynamics, and painful memories can all tend to pop up during the holidays. Yet, sometimes, if we’re intentional about inviting in others and loving our neighbors, just like Buddy “singing loud for all to hear,” our joy can become infectious and inspire hope in those around us.
Joy and peace are coming a little later in the Advent calendar, but they heavily relate to hope. Near the end of his letter to the Romans, the apostle Paul prays for the church in Rome, saying “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”
We realize we can’t all be Buddy the Elf around Christmas time, but we do pray the same for ourselves and each other—that in the Christmas season, God would fill us with joy and peace so that our hope may flourish.
Conversation starter: Is there anyone you know who we should invite to a Christmas event?