Dec. 25, 2019                    It’s a Wonderful Life                              

The title of this sermon is, “It’s a Wonderful Life”, because that was the inspiration for my sermon this evening. You all know the story of George Bailey, how he saved his kid brother from drowning, saved Mr. Gower from losing his pharmacy business, saved the Saving’s and Loan from Mr. Potter, saved Mary from being an old maid, moved all those people out of Potter’s slums and into Bailey park, and was ready to take his own life, to pay off a lost bank deposit.

Perhaps the most important part of this movie is the contrast between what was, and what could have been. Or more accurately, what could have been Pottersville, verses what was Bedford Falls. The idea, that you could take the same people, the same town, the same world, and it could be made different by one person, someone who always thought of others, someone who did the right thing, someone who suffered himself in order to give life to others. The idea that it makes all the difference in the world, is a pretty wonderful idea.

Oh yes, this was not an easy life. It was filled with hard work, faith, and integrity. You could see in the movie that George was often tempted to think only of himself, and each time he chose to think of others. It seems to me, that George knew the kind of person he wanted to be, and each conflict was an opportunity to define himself, and despite the consequences of missing his overseas trip, missing college, getting married, spending his life helping others, he wasn’t about to become a kind of man like that miserable Mr. Potter. He wanted to be alive, not dead to the world like “old man Potter”.

And I think that many people wrestle with that to some degree, those who haven’t given up their conscience, seek to live a life of which they can be proud, a life they believe has meaning and purpose, a life that makes a difference in the world, and in the lives of others. In contrast to this, there are many who have just given up, slogging through the days of their life, with no other meaning or purpose than survival or pleasure.  While they might be alive, that is not life. At least, not the life that is offered to us in Jesus Christ!

     And that is where we run into the Gospel of John this evening! The gospel reading says in referring to Jesus. “What has come into being through him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and darkness did not overcome it.”

As I mentioned in a sermon a couple weeks ago, both Judaism and Christianity believe that there are two kinds of lives that people can live. One in which people are physically and spiritually alive, and one in which people are physically alive and spiritually dead. In the movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life” George Bailey represents those who are physically and spiritually alive. They are people of integrity, who care about who they are, and about how their actions affect others. They live their lives in the struggle to make the lives of those around them better, to make the world a better place. They live a life that gives light to others, and overcomes the darkness of the world to build a new creation.

Now I could go into the darkness of those who are spiritually dead, and talk about the Potter’s of this world, and how they have given up, or they think they are better or smarter than those “suckers” who care about others. They live in darkness, and the world they create is darkness, darkness for themselves and darkness for others.  

But into this darkness is born a child, the Son of God, Jesus Christ. And through his Words, through his life, through his suffering and death and resurrection, the world has been forever changed. Formerly it was on the path to Pottersville, and now it is on the path to Bedford Falls. And for two thousand years, people who believed in Jesus Christ have been taking that path.

In the midst of the darkness of the world, and the darkness of the lives around them, they have chosen a life that is a light to others.   They have chosen a life, believing that life will be a light that overcomes the darkness. They believe that despite their sufferings, that their lives will be redeemed, that the purpose and meaning of their lives will be rewarded, and the world will continue to move forward towards the day of God’s salvation. And for many, they have found this belief to be true, and have experienced the blessing of faith in Jesus Christ in their lives.

And that is the Good News of Jesus Christ that we celebrate every Christmas, as we celebrate Christ’s birth!