Even as Christmas is a major holiday for Christians, I was reminded as I watched a popular sitcom that the Christ of Christmas is still struggling to be accepted by this world. The show Community is a show I find funny, with an interesting ensemble cast. The group of students that comprise the show are all quirky in their own loveable way, and the show attempts to bring out their strengths as well as their weaknesses using humor. This episode focused on Shirley the resident Christian, who is outspoken, but caring of the other group members. She at times adopts a maternal role and tries to strengthen the connection between group members. The show explains that she is trying to recreate her family, which is lost to her through divorce. In this episode she is having a Christmas party and insists that everyone come. The group, though diverse in their religious perspectives, out of love for her and respect for the strength of her faith agree to go, they even go so far as to wear bracelets that she gives them saying “what would baby Jesus do”.
The group, which included an Atheist, Agnostic (“lazy man’s Atheist”), a Satanist, a Jehovah Witness, an Eastern Religion practitioner, a Muslim, and a Jewess is very cohesive. As a result they all agreed to show love and tolerance for each other and come to Shirley’s Christmas Party. The premise of the show casts the adherents of the other faiths in a generous light. It was unfortunate that the show didn’t cast a similar light on the main character, Shirley. She was at times, shown to be contemptuous of those other faiths. Even the humor had an overtone of hostility (shoving the menorah under some branches of the Christmas tree as if to hide it and diminish its significance. Whereas Annie, the Jewish character lovingly placed the baby Jesus doll on the tree when given the task saying “I know you are one of us”. The message was that Christ is not offensive as a baby and an ideological symbol of a religious group, but those claiming to be Christians are. There are many other slights and insults that the followers of the other faiths are subjected to and they tolerate Shirley’s fanaticism with good cheer. Britta, the avowed Satanist at one time steps up and advocates cooperation and unity when the group begins to argue about faith. The Agnostic, Jeff even goes so far as to try to pursue peace instead of fighting a bully out of respect for Shirley’s feelings about her day, Christmas.
The show, while still funny in parts, did bring home to me how Christians are perceived by others, or is it just the media. If the Media is accurately representing the general populace then we as Christians have our work cut out for us. The millions donated to charities, the long history of social service organizations that are founded on Christian values and principles, as well as the love, sacrifice and service to those who don’t share our faith is not well publicized. Instead what is publicized in the belief that if someone is a strong adherent to their faith they are going to be bigoted, and fanatical. Christianity is of course going to be offensive to people who are not tolerant of the Christian’s belief that only through Christ can we find redemption and salvation and a path to God. All other religions promote other paths to God, and some promote many paths to the Devine. Christianity and other monotheistic religions don’t. However regardless of your personal faith or values it only shows a corresponding lack of tolerance on the part of others when they cannot acknowledge that a Christian can have Christ and love others at that same time. The show ended with Shirley departing from her sweet sanctimonious behavior to engage in a fight to defend Jeff from the bullies. This action brought the group back together and to signify their sense of community they sang a Christmas song, totally devoid of Christ. A watered down version of a holiday song that was so politically correct as to be offensive, to a Christian that is.
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