Christmas is now less than two weeks away. Thanksgiving was so late this year that Christmas is sneaking up very quickly. There’s a lot to love about this season: the parties, the food, the presents and the music. However, it’s important to remember that Jesus really should stand at the center of this season.
To help us stay focused on Jesus’s birth, here are some central characters to the Christmas story and their nerdy counterparts.
Mary – President Roslin
Mary is an amazing young woman. Not only was she chosen to be the mother of Jesus, but she also had a heart completely surrendered to God. Mary’s simple response to Gabriel, that she is the Lord’s servant, is an example we should all strive to model. While no one in nerdom can match the surrendered heart of Mary, Laura Roslin comes closest. When the 12 Colonies were destroyed and Roslin’s number came up, she humbly accepted her new role as president. There were crazy circumstances all around her, but Roslin’s humility provided a glimpse of Mary’s.
Joseph – Superman
A few years ago I really spent some time looking at Joseph’s part in the Christmas story. Sometimes he seems little more than Mr. Mary, just along for the ride. However, he’s so much more than just Mary’s husband. He was given the responsibility of being Jesus’s earthly father in a very patriarchal society. He also showed his extremely high character when he chose to divorce Mary quietly when she told him she was pregnant. It was only after Joseph chose to do the right thing that God intervened and sent his angel. I see Joseph as someone who always chose to do the right thing no matter how difficult. He’s a lot like Superman in that way. For all of my disdain towards Superman, I do have to admit that he sets a great example for humanity by choosing to do what is right.
Shepherds – Ben Urich
The shepherds were the first evangelists. They were just working class guys hanging out with their sheep. However, God chose them to be the first to see Jesus and spread the good news about him. Like the shepherds, Ben Urich is just a hard working man in the Marvel universe. There’s nothing particularly special about him but he’s always right in the middle of the action, reporting the news. He sees the amazing things happening around him and goes out of his way to tell others. We should follow the example of both the shepherds and Ben Urich; we should go out of our way to tell others about the amazing things God is doing in our lives.
Magi – Voyager
The Magi were wise men from the Middle East who followed a star to find the young Lord Jesus. We can learn a lot from the magi who didn’t allow a long and difficult journey to keep them from following the star and worshipping Jesus. Like the Magi, the crew of the Voyager also had a long and dangerous journey home. I still haven’t gotten around to watching Star Trek: Voyager but I know it was a journey filled with Borg, Species 8472 and rotating cast members. Following and worshipping Jesus often takes effort and intention, both of which can be seen in the magi and the Voyager’s crew.
Christmas is a great time of year full of many reasons to celebrate. Amidst all those celebrations, though, we cannot forget the reason for our greatest joy: Jesus. His story has endured for two thousands years and continues to impact lives today. If we can follow the example of the characters above, then this Christmas can be about so much more than presents and parties. If we surrender our will to God’s and wholeheartedly pursue his son, then we will see ourselves becoming more and more like the baby boy born in a manger.
What other nerdy characters do you see in the Christmas story?
I think that when LOTR came out, my dad did a sermon comparing Joseph to Frodo. I honestly have no idea how he made that connection, but I’m sure it was brilliant. Haha!