All the People

I found a fantastic movie on Netflix last week: Holiday in the Wild.
Not the story - the plot is pretty predictable.
Not the acting - I can't take Rob Lowe seriously after he spoofed himself so magnificently in The Grinder.
But it's got two big things going for it ... it's a Christmas movie, and it's set in Zambia.  Two of my heart's loves in one go!

One of my favourite parts is when the main character, Kate, is chatting with her friend in New York, and the New York friend asks "so what's Christmas in Africa?"

And Kate says, "well, I can't speak for the entire continent, but here at the elephant orphanage they celebrate all week and there's no shopping involved."

Because I loved the little perspective it offered - the reminder that Christmas is different all over the world. That it's not marked the same way - it looks different in Ontario and in Zambia and in Australia.  But underneath the wrapping, the fact is ... we celebrate Christmas all over the world.

We pause and mark the fact that God sent us the hugest gift.
We rejoice that He came.
We do things differently, because He came to us.  All of us.  The angel declared, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people."

Merry Christmas, people.
xo.