Rick Land & Russ Tapp: Blog

A Miracle on 34th Street - 

I just finished my second viewing of this great film. I used several tissues as well...

I was overwhelmingly struck by the message behind that timeless film.

We were recently in NYC where that film was based if you recall and I simply had to see the Annual Christmas Show and the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall. The early stages of all that extravagant Manhattan holiday lighting were in full swing.  

 

We were in the line to get our tickets for the afternoon matinee and there was an adorable little blond girl wearing the most beautiful green dress, red sequened shoes, with little sparkles of tinsel and decoration in her hair scurrying about with her mother. They were in the wrong line and frantically trying to get over into the matinee line ( there were hundreds of folks lined up to purchase tickets for future performances.) Once inside, I was spell bound at that expectant full house of over 6000 people, and at the parents and beautiful children all seated together for this truly American tradition. I could not hold back the tears.

My thoughts whirled back to my childhood and of Santa Clause and all the effort my parents expended on Christmas and the things that"Santa" would bring - -  

 

One vivid thought stands out in my mind...on Christmas morning, as we dashed down the stairs to see if Santa had come again for another year - the toys and clothes were all accompanied by special hand written notes to us from Santa in HIS VERY OWN HANDWRITING! That inimitable hand writing gave instructions as to whom the item belonged, if it was to be shared and reminding us to be good boys in the coming year and for me to take care of my little brothers... 

I can now see where that annual event was our first childhood experience in faith and hope and believing always that good things came to us each Christmas.

Imagine what it would have been like to come down to the living room on Christmas Morning to find the tree completely dismantled and a note for each of us saying..."you are horrible, miserable little boys - you are not and will never be worthy of any gifts from Santa! And further more, he will never, ever visit this house until you behave and repent of all your horrible behavior!"

 

In many ways this is precisely what some forms of modern "christanity" has become.

Repent. Behave. Conform. You are a miserable human being.

 

The truth is - we cannot fail, we cannot do anything to stop God's love. The very worst of humanity does not change God one iota. The pain and misery of the human race is not God's fault...we are created perfectly in the image of a perfect spiritual entity.

But somewhere in the process of on-going life something goes terribly awry - theologians, philosophers, correctional insititutions, lawyers, judges, churches and preachers ad infinitum attempt to provide explanations, solutions and remedies for the "human condition" .

It is not difficult to understand, no matter what we do or what anyone says...and it all starts when we hang around with other human beings. Kinda funny isn't it... 

 

My Mother wrote those personal  notes to each of us on Christmas morning each year - I wish she had said..."boys do not pay undue attention to other people, learn everything you can, be yourselves, think for yourselves, believe in goodness, make life beautiful every single day, love everyone like crazy and always believe in Santa Clause"   mom