Spoiler Alert! If you've never seen Home Alone or Nativity, watch them and then read this!
Tea Quiz
Picture the scene… 3:30pm, you’ve not had a cup of tea since lunchtime and you’ve an opportunity to have your boss make a cup of tea for you… This is a lived reality for the team at Christian Jobs as 3:30pm marks the time that we have our afternoon Tea Quiz. The concept is simple; one question. Loser makes a round of teas (Yorkshire, of course).
Last week, it was a Christmas-themed question - What is the highest-grossing Christmas film of all time? Simple. If you want to replicate the quiz, the list is here. Everyone picks a film and whoever chooses the lowest-grossing film makes the tea. Everyone else is a winner and can put their feet up as their human-teasmade kicks into action.
Nativity or Home Alone?
As we were drinking our teas, huge debate engulfed the office as we discussed our favourite Christmas films.
50% of the team agree wholeheartedly that Nativity is the best Christmas film and, if you haven’t seen it, you need to. The basic plot is an unhappy, failed actor who hates Christmas, becomes a teacher (Mr Maddens) and is tasked with directing the school's nativity. He seemingly does not want to do it and gets assigned an assistant teacher (Mr Poppy) to help him who loves Christmas…. (you see where this plot is going). Alongside this, the rival school nativity is going extremely well and is on track for another 5 star rating from the local newspaper/critic. I won’t give away any more spoilers, but in short, Mr Maddens is feeling very hopeless and alone, until something unexpected happens towards the end of the film. All of this, complete with some great tunes (Sparkle and Shine for Christmas Number 1) is why it is so well-loved in the Christan Jobs office.
However, it quickly became apparent that not everyone in the office is such a massive fan, and that, in fact, we have employed a few members of the Home Alone fan club. In this one, we see a boy (Kevin) who gets forgotten about and left at home for Christmas whilst his family are all in Paris. Kevin seems pretty happy about this at first, until the house gets burgled and he has to create a game plan to escape the robbers. Again, I won’t give any spoilers away, but within all of this, Kevin starts to miss his family and feels a little lonely just like Mr Maddens.
Hope
After the heated debate and barrage of angry shouts including the Marketing Manager calling one of our Recruitment Consultants a “filthy animal!” I started to reflect on both of these films and found that they have a lot in common. At first glance, for the first half of the films, there is no hope. The characters suffer loneliness, hopelessness and despair; albeit, mixed up with comedic moments. This is a lot like life. If we look at what is going on around us – the cost of living, cars not starting because it’s -6 degrees outside, people going hungry and unable heat up their houses, and everything else we all struggle with on a daily basis – it is a very stressful time that can and will leave us hopeless at times. However, as I liken this to our favorite Christmas films, I am reminded of the hope that comes with our beautiful Saviour Jesus Christ. We are told that life will bring these stressful, lonely, chaotic times that are sometimes out of our control. But we are also told that, in these times, there is an eternal firm steadfast hope that we can lean on, look to and trust in. I pray that this Christmas, when you are feeling stressed, hopeless, chaotic, or when you’re watching your favourite Christmas films, you will be reminded of and filled with the eternal hope we are promised from our Saviour.
“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.” Romans 15:13
Tell me your favourite Christmas film by messaging me through my LinkedIn or sending an email to charlotte.burke@christianjobs.co.uk.