Christmas Conversations #5: What’s your best idea for using a Christmas movie to spark a conversation about Christ?

By Stacey Tuttle It’s cold outside, it gets dark early, kids are home on school break and whether your family takes advantage of all the blockbuster releases and goes out to the movies, or they relish the tradition of holiday classics at home—most of us watch some movies at Christmastime, perhaps more than at most times. I love stories and am passionate about the idea that all good stories are good because they borrow in some way from God’s story.  There is no better author than the Author and Perfector of our faith…so all other authors are best when they are mimicking Him. That being said, movies are nothing more than stories.  And for Americans, they are a common ground for conversation.  Even if you haven’t seen the movie (I confess it, I somehow missed this one myself), almost everyone knows about the movie with the Red Ryder BB Gun.  And who hasn’t seen Rudolph or Charlie Brown Christmas or Santa Clause is Comin’ to Town (or a half dozen other Christmas classics)…100 times or more?  And if you hear the name Griswald, doesn’t it immediately conjur up tacky images in your mind? So how can we use these stories to spark conversations about Christ?  And what are the elements of some of the classics which parallel the Christian story in some way or another? We could talk about this for days…so go ahead, talk amongst yourselves!  You never know, your idea shared here could be the very thing that someone else uses to share Jesus and expand the Kingdom!  Someday some stranger in heaven might tell you that it was because of your idea or insight that they came to know Jesus!   How cool would that be?!

Check out our other Christmas Conversations:

We have 25 different “conversations” going online and we’d love to hear your thoughts!  See the list below and add your two cents when and where you can, and benefit from the collective think tank as you go!

1. How do you keep the spirit of giving in your Cristmas shopping?
2. How do you bring Jesus into your shopping experience?
3. What do you think about Christmas music?
4. What’s the worst Christmas song and why?
5. What’s your best idea for using a Christmas movie to spark a conversation about Christ?
6. What’s the worst Christmas movie and why?
7. What’s the most meaningful Christmas tradition that your family has?
8. How do you get your kids attention (or even your own) off of the gifts you get?
9. How much is too much when it comes to giving your kids gifts for Christmas?
10. What are your favorite service-oriented things to do during Christmas?
11. Is Santa a naughty or nice Christmas tradition and why?
12. What Christmas traditions have you chosen not to follow, and what have you replaced them with?
13. If you’ve chosen to do Santa, how can you use him to point your kids to Jesus?
14. Do lighting displays add to or detract from the real meaning of Christmas?
15. What kinds of gifts can you give to non-Christian friends that make Jesus attractive?
16. What are your best ideas for using Christmas to spur conversations about Jesus?
17. Happy Holidays vs. Merry Christmas – Does it really matter?
18. Should we boycott stores based on Christian principles during the Holidays?
19. How do you deal with the Grinches in your life this Christmas?
20. How do you deal with Christmas as a joyous family time when family is hard? 
21. What do you know about the Biblical concept of hospitality and how do you apply that during the Christmas season?
22. How do you find spiritual refreshment in the midst of an exhausting season?
23. When do the excesses of Christmas cross the line from communicating the lavishness of God’s love for us to fostering excess, greed and pride?
24. How do you respond to feeling like someone else “does Christmas better” than you?
25. What is the most meaningful Christmas memory you have?