Some Sentimentality

Last updated on: December 22, 2017 at 3:10 pm by John Mark N. Reynolds

Some Sentimentality 2017-12-22T15:10:46-04:00 John Mark N. Reynolds

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

photo-1450198342040-c32e6d1ef2e4_opt I asked Alexa for a Christmas movie and what she gave me was Christmas Town. To say this is a bad movie is not enough. The film should come with a warning: it is a slough of syrup that sucks you into its sticky self until one hits a bottom of cynicism from the sugar shock. Hard to believe that the makers of the film thought kindly of those of us who love Christmas, romance, and our sentiments seriously, because this film mocks us by cheapening simple pleasures: the family, holidays, and decorations.

Common pleasures are all around, but to slather them in sick sentiment may make us unable to enjoy what should be fundamental. Not everyone has a decent family, but if we do, then we should be able to enjoy the everyday pleasures of home. Our friends do not need to do much, just be themselves. Sitting with them and a glass of wine on a Thursday night after work is a simple pleasure: nothing from the wine to the room is grand, but then neither are we!

A film like Bambi or any movie made by Frank Capra deals in common sentiment, makes us feel what is often mis and this is good for us. Simple happiness comes when we eat our family foods, made as we make them. There is higher pleasure, but the plain sentiment is good. Walking home from work is good, not great, but often happy.

Eschew false sentiment for real sentiment. If cynicism grips you, step back. Buy nothing. Fast from excess and look for a place to serve. Go home and work to make someone else happy without ostentation, but by merely doing something simple that pleases him or her. Find old ways, simple pleasures, sing old songs sincerely, listen to the words, and ask Jesus to help you. The Christian life encourages a mindfulness that allows for true sentiment in simple things.

One thing I try to do during Advent is eschew debate and disagreement when I can. Nothing blocks simple pleasures more than arguments.

As for me, I walk home from work, enter a house and look at the pictures of the kids, children now adults. I do my evening work and then just putter a bit as I prepare for bed. This is happy, not grand, but jolly. Sentiment is not cheap, it is common. The common grounds life: common men make sound republics, common pleasures a good life. Inexpensive does not mean cheap. People mock gilt Christmas ornaments as fake. Nonsense. In the context of a family Christmas tree gilt, shiny gold that is not gold, is affordable and fit for a tree in a house like our own. As the years pass, the gilt gains sentimental value. There are inexpensive ornaments that are lovely, though of course there cheap, ugly knock offs. Our first ornaments came from Woolworths and the trick as we shopped with so little money was to find the common amongst the cheap. We still have some tiny metal ornaments made to look like old fashioned toys. We passed on the angel tree-toppers with frightening faces for one where some artist who cared about his job had made lovely.

We took them home, put them on our tree, praised God for the gift of His Son, and were happy. Our tree was not beautiful, but common as bread, common as we are. Simple sentiment is sweet, like a Snickers bar, not great candy, but pretty tasty nonetheless. For God so loved us, He made a world that is full of sentiment. Run away from Christmas Town. Run instead to Christmas: the celebration of a baby being born. There is grandness there, hear the angels, but also common sentiment. We may not up to angels (Who is?), but mother and her baby.

I saw Hope give birth to our children four times and the sight never stopped making me . . . sappy. That is sentiment, the sentiment of Christmas.

Art

Culture

Previous Post

December 21, 2017

Dickens Best Christmas Story: The Cricket on the Hearth

Next Post

December 23, 2017 Joyful Doubt at Christmas

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Apologetics Art Culture Education On Books On Education Philosophy Politics Pop Culture Spiritual Reflections Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 July 2025 June 2025 September 2024 July 2024 June 2024 December 2023 June 2023 September 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who predicted the fall of Jerusalem?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Jeremiah Daniel Isaiah Jesus

Books by This Author John Mark Reynolds

See All Titles »