Bullying Reindeer

So yesterday I started working on Advent--yes, I know it's October, but in the church world I'm actually behind. I have no idea why, but the song Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer kept going through my head until my mind came to a screeching halt!

Y'all--listen to (or in the case here read) the words. And I'm going to highlight (if I can figure out how) the difficult words.

You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen
Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen
But do you recall
The most famous reindeer of all?

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Had a very shiny nose
And if you ever saw it
You would even say it glows

All of the other reindeer
Used to laugh and call him names
They never let poor Rudolph
Join in any reindeer games

Then one foggy Christmas Eve
Santa came to say
"Rudolph, with your nose so bright
Won't you guide my sleigh tonight?"

Then how the reindeer loved him
As they shouted out with glee
"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
You'll go down in history"

Now just think about it...all those mean reindeer bullies left Rudolph out UNTIL HE SAVED THEIR JOBS! What kind of message is it sending? You are only worthy and included and liked IF you do something for others IF you produce. 

Or maybe another way to look at it is Rudolph learned to live into who he was through the encouragement of Santa--but it still doesn't let those other bullying reindeer off the hook.

So we sing this at Christmas when we also celebrate the birth of Jesus--God's greatest gift to us which we don't deserve in the slightest. It's a gift God has given us just because. We don't have to prove we are worthy; we don't have to justify who we are; we are loved and worthy of dignity and respect just because.

So no, I don't want to ban the song. It's a song y'all, not a reason to get our panties in a wad. BUT it's also a good opportunity for formation. It's a good opportunity for us to consider what culture teaches us and what God teaches us. It's a good opportunity for us to reflect on how we behave and why. 

Theological reflection anyone?