Dr. Luke Goes to Hollywood

A quick post since I am supposed to be making cookies for caroling tonight. We went to see The Nativity on Monday. We had spent Sunday night reading over the Christmas story very closely, paying special attention to areas where tradition has created details that are not specifically mentioned in the biblical account (i.e. there was no mention of a donkey for Mary during the journey to Bethlehem, no mention of how many wise men there are, no indication that they arrived the night Jesus was born, etc.) We also talked about how the shepherds were so utterly terrified when they were greeted by a multitude of the heavenly host -- yet typically they are pictured on Christmas cards as peacefully gazing at a benign-looking angel or two. I came away with a renewed understanding of how important it is to really be sure that we know exactly what the Word says, not what we think it says. All of this was fresh in my mind when we went into the movie. So, of course, I was a little taken aback by the amount of details fabricated and added. How foolish of me: How else could they make a two-hour movie? They added all sorts of subplots in The Ten Commandments; The Passion included many added scenes, like Mary comforting her toddler Jesus after a fall. They always do stuff like that. But I am starting to wonder about it. We talked to our kids about the genre, warning that this is to be taken only as an interpretation. But our kids are older and discerning. A little one who grows up watching this movie will have ideas embedded about the Christmas story that do not come from the Bible. Granted, nothing was glaringly out of line, but it left me feeling uncomfortable. I am sure that a lot of people who wouldn't normally hear the Christmas story went to this movie. And it is good that they know the basic outline of Christ's birth and the movie even states that He is God in human flesh and makes mention of his sacrifice to come. So it would seem there is much good for the Kingdom to come from a movie like this. Or is it more harmful?