This took me to the animated film The Polar Express, which my wife and I have on DVD and watch most years. Each time we see it, I see something more. Last year, it struck me that the Santa the children finally reach at the North Pole on Christmas Eve is anything but namby-pamby, and it's worth pointing out that when he appears, Frank Sinatra sings "You Better Watch Out", which is as good a substitute as any for an Advent carol. Beyond that, it also struck me this year that Santa's face is the face of an icon, but with a bushy white beard. Santa here is the Second Coming. It's all the more surprising in that the guy who wrote the book on which the film is based is a convert to Judaism.
This year it struck me as well that the various comical crises and emergencies that happen to the train on the way to the North Pole are a G-rated parallel to The Pilgrim's Progress. The film is sending a message that faith is a struggle. We need to get past the idea (Ms Gyapong and many others) that faith is something namby-pamby, something cutsie-pie, something to swoon over. I think the Enemy would prefer that we view frauds like the TAC and its bishops uncritically and not ask questions about such people.
