When Joy Is Our Song

When he originally published “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” as a stand-along story in 1957, Dr. Suess set out to tell a Christmas story that pushed against the mainstream. We don’t all have a personal aversion to Christmas, like the Grinch does, but maybe we all have parts of the season which we dislike, allowing us to identify with the Grinch. Throughout this series, we’ll discover that much of what resonates with us in the Grinch’s story can help us understand our faith as Christians, the hope that we find in the birth of Jesus and the love that grows in our hearts because of Emmanuel, God with us!

“At the end of the story, we see that the Grinch, the outsider, the other, the one who should be feared and excluded, was the one who is now at the head of the table, carving the roast beast, as they all sit together in fellowship. Not only does it seem that all things are forgiven, but the Whos have given the Grinch a seat of honor! Something beautiful has taken place. We often mistakenly think that the point of Suess’ story is that Christmas isn’t about presents, but the true gift of this story is the joy of reconciliation. Our Lord is about reconciliation, which came through Christ’s birth, life, and death.”  -Pastor Matt Rawle