An Effective Sermon of Love, Humility and Acceptance

MOGENE Herdman (Beatrice Schneider) shouts, "They've had all kinds of chances," when the church begins adding names of participants for the 75th Christmas pageant in their town.

- AKSHAY KUMAR

This line encapsulates the core message of inclusivity in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, a film full of life that beams with positivity. Directed by Dallas Jenkins, the film begins with Beth (Molly Belle Wright/Lauren Graham) narrating the story of the troublesome Herdman siblings in their fictional neighborhood of Emmanuel. The Herdmans, estranged by their father and largely ignored by their mother, are ostracized by the community. Their presence is frowned upon, and they too really don't care about socializing with others in Emmanuel. Yet, as fate would have it, these children, who have never even stepped foot in a church, are cast in the leading roles of the Christmas pageant. Thus, Beth gains a profound understanding of the true meaning of Christmas.

The film, based on Barbara Robinson's novel The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, is light and resplendent in hope. One of its best aspects is that it also doesn't shy away from criticizing the arrogance of people hailing from so-called 'decent families'. Dallas Jenkins, who made the Christian web series