Christmas?!? (Watchmen)

At the end of Watchmen, there is one final scene that just doesn't seem to fit. After the heroes have lived out this epic tale, Manhattan is destroyed, and Rorschach killed--right before his journal is revealed to the public--it's Christmas.

The scene opens with the original Silk Spectre, Ms. Jupiter, going to answer her door. She has cooled things down a bit. She's ready to remain retired. She just wants to live out the rest of her days. She just wants to be alone. Her daughter, who had become the next Silk Spectre, is probably dead. And, she has nothing left to live for.

Besides that, it's Christmas and she doesn't want to be bothered.

And, there she is, Jupiter's daughter.

She looks different, not immediately recognizable. But, it's her. A mother would recognize her daughter almost anywhere... even with a different color and style of hair...

But, Jupiter's first reaction to seeing her daughter isn't joy, it's not hope, excitement, or even laughter... She's dismayed. Her attitude conveys something like, "Look what you did to me... how could you? ... I thought you were dead!" She's smitten by grief although she should be rejoicing.

But, in another instant, she's just fine. She knows she should be glad to have her daughter back.

Now that the truth as hit her, her daughter is home, they have to celebrate. Bring out the best gifts... talk... stay a while...

But, there's no time for that. There's some news that needs to be shared. Shocking news, but important news... life-changing news...

And then, they need to take off. They leave, back into the world, with only each other. Ms. Jupiter can only leave them with a few guiding words, "You kids take care of each other."

This Christmas is starting to look a lot like Easter.

This season, we have watched and we have waited. We saw our Savior die. In that moment, did we lose hope? Not now. Not this year. We knew that something was bound to happen three days later.

HE ROSE!!!!!

But, this year, do we truly remember?

Doesn't Christ come knocking at our door, wishing to lead the way, to be our guide, to have our trust and our faith? But, what do we do? Especially in this Easter season... during any "holiday" ... Doesn't He find us more disturbed and bothered than grateful?

We become Ms. Jupiter. As He knocks, we hesitate to answer. What is it?!? Who is it?!? Do we really care?!?

For whatever the reason, tradition, curiosity, "righteousness." we get up and go answer the door anyway. It's as if it isn't something important. It's definitely not something new. We do this sort of thing all the time. It's easy to trust love, or money, or pride, or security... almost anything really.

Still, when we get to the door, we're surprised to see who is really there.

I thought we killed Him.

We are with Mary Magdalene in the garden and the two disciples on the road. We don't even recognize this man any more. We have been so tied up with the hustle and bustle of the holiday season... the distractions and the dillusions of every day life... we have forgotten the scene behind it all...

Then, the moment that we do recognize the Christ... or, rather, the moment that He reveals Himself  to us... we get defensive. Where were you... when I needed you?!? Where were you... when all of those things were happening in the world?!? Where were you... when I called out in the middle of the night and heard no answer?!?

You swore to be with me.

Now, look at what you've done to me!!!! I have hoped, I have trusted, I have believed. And, they made me out to be the fool. The world, you know, they don't trust you. They thought I had gone mad. They made fun of me, they laughed at me, they persecuted me because of you.

And, then, in the next instant, we remember all that He has done for us. The laughing, the persecution, the flogging, the dying... Our lives seem like heaven compared to the sacrifice that He has made. After what He has done for us, we remember our hearts... we remember to feel... we remember to finally be grateful for not only what He has just accomplished, but because we have Him back!!!

HE ROSE!!!!!

We want to bring out the fattened calf, cook up a turkey, bake some ham... bring out the best wine, the good beer, the Easter punch... We want to enjoy the time with Him now... This little time that we can have Him back.

But, then He explains it all to us. The scales that were on our eyes, fall off. Now, we truly see. We know that His death wasn't just His death, but also our own. His resurrection wasn't just His resurrection, but also our own.

At Christ's birth, we always discuss His death. It also seems fitting to, at His death, discuss His birth. It was for this reason, this moment, that He had come... to fulfill the Scriptures (as He explains at the end of Luke)... to begin the road to Calvary.

He died so that we may die to sin. And, He lives so that we might be born again in Baptism and through the daily death of the Old Adam so that there may be life in the New.

And, with some final words, the Great Commission, the Gospels, the Greatest Commandments, and the teachings through the Apostles... He ascends. His job here is done. It is finished.

But, His Spirit would remain. He is still here with us, loving us, encouraging us, teaching us... And, although we struggle to fight the world's distractions and temptations, we are still here to hear Him, to know Him, to answer Him... He still intercedes for us.

So,

Happy Easter!!!!

Happy Resurrection Day!!!!!

And, Happy Birthday!!!!!

This is the end of the Watchmen Lenten Series.