The Christmas Box

3.5/5 stars

Not my cuppa tea.

I read this almost every Christmas and this year I'm a bit late. I'm glad I read it again this year because it always reminds me of what the true gift of Christmas is and that it fades away.

A touching story about what we all should be thankful for during Christmas and the rest of the year

Not as powerful as the first time I read it, but lovely quick Christmas read.

Okay, here we dive into theology. If you happen to be Mormon, just know you'll be okay with the content and move along. (I don't mind quiet discussion, but attack-comments will be deleted. If you object, please make it constructive.)

I expected there to be a little “supernatural” stuff in the book when I started because of the terms the box is spoken of in. However, it had been very highly spoken of by friends, and I pressed on. It's very high in sentiment and it is deliberately aimed at giving a warm, fuzzy feeling. It speaks of God and many people have shelved it as Christian and have gathered an inspirational message from it.

However, the theology in its message is anything but mainstream. By about the halfway mark we get into the angel-speak...but these are no Debbie MaComber angels, the type that is a visitation from above but is never confused with mortals. No, these angels were previously mortals, and had been angels before becoming mortals. My theology radar started buzzing. I knew the author was Mormon and I had previously heard that Mormons believe that humans become angels after death.

Just to be certain, I went to a Mormon got-questions site and confirmed that point. I got a bonus: it is their normal belief that all humans are angels any time they aren't living a human life. I was surprised how much this paralleled with a couple other things in the book that didn't add up. I wasn't sure where some of the concepts came from but once I checked that site, everything made sense. The “first gift” of Christmas was focused more on a baby arriving and completely ignored the reality of Jesus's destiny as savior of the world. A regular human baby is NOT just the same as Jesus coming because the purpose is completely different.

There is absolutely zero Biblical support for the idea that humans and angels are the same things in different forms. Mary's daughter did not become an angel upon death and a new baby is not an angel sent to earth. There are several Bible verses that specify that angels are different beings and man is “a little lower than the angels” and that the angels were not given the gospel. (1 Peter 1:12)

I can neither support nor recommend a book that repeatedly cheapens the message of Christmas by making Jesus into just another baby and making the idea of meeting an angel at death, and having that specific once-human angel watching over you, more important than getting to meet Jesus face to face. A Christmas story that leaves out the real reason Jesus came to earth, while getting excited over angels and supernatural revelations, and mentioning God and Jesus as though they believe the God of the Bible...is not a Christmas story at all!