Jimbo's Jots

Over the past couple of years during the Advent / Christmas season, I’ve focused on music that has had an impact on me. On a side note, in my Apple Music library, just Christmas music, there are over 1,100 songs and Apple Music says it would take over 2 1/2 days to listen to it straight through with no repeats. Hence, the reason to start listening in September for me.

This year, I want to share in a couple of movies that connect with me. One of them came out recently and the other is an older movie. So let’s start with the newer movie.

In 2017, a movie produced by Affirm Films, a company under Sony that produces and distributes mainly conservative Christian films, came to theaters. The story is about the adventures of many animals that helped get Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem. The movie is called The Star. The main character is a small donkey, Bo, played by Steven Yeun. Bo has heard there is a grand procession of royalty coming near him. But he is tied up at a farm. He has a chance to break free, but ends up getting injured and “rescued” under the care of Mary, played by Gina Rodriguez and Joseph, played by Zachary Levi. During this time, Mary has found out she is carrying the Son of God and Joseph is also told that he and his family will now have to travel to Bethlehem for the census.

The story is of how Bo and his friends help get Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem. All the while, Herod (Christopher Plummer) has sent a guard to find this “new king”. It has a wonderful story!

What connects me to this story and to the movie is Bo’s struggle to find identity. Being held captive and trying to find freedom to pursue a chance to be with royalty is what drives Bo in the first place. After he was hurt and taken in by Mary and Joseph, he is supposed to pull the wagon and carry Mary. But, he had his own way. It led to some other adventures that take him away from them.

We often find ourselves thinking we should be one way, when in fact, God may be using us at the right time, putting us in the right place. That’s what Bo has to learn. In the end, he realized he was part of a royal caravan for he was in the presence of the King of Kings!

If you have not seen the movie, take an opportunity to sit down with the family and share in it.

Be blessed! Be a blessing to others!