Theology Central

After all the theological discussions, Christmas has arrived

As candlelight Christmas Eve services stream across the country, this episode pauses to ask a simple but rarely examined question: how did Christmas Eve become the emotional center of Christmas, and what has that shift formed us to expect?

A reflection on Hallmark Christmas movies, comfort stories, and how our longing for tidy endings shapes what we expect Christmas—and even the church—to deliver.

A reflection that begins with Superman and leads to a deeper question many face at Christmas: how do we live with a God who is said to be with us, yet often feels unreachable? This episode explores the tension between power, goodness, suffering, and distance—without rushing to resolve it.

Christmas often intensifies emotion—joy, longing, grief, loneliness, and everything in between. In this episode, we reflect on why the season carries such emotional weight, how expectations and memory shape our experience, and why Christmas can be especially difficult for some.