The Wandering Heretic

In the Heretic household, the family joins together in front of the television to herald the start of the Christmas season. The object of our attention: the Christmas movie that embodies all that the season is about in terms of the American culture. Is the movie the many incarnations of “A Christmas Carol”? How about the animated versions of Rudolph and Frosty? “A Charilie Brown Christmas”? A Hallmark Classic? Nope. The start of our season begins with a viewing of “Jingle All The Way.”

Now comes the hardest part of expositing this passage. Exactly when did or will the events described in this passage occur? Most people who read the passage stare at me quizzically as I describe my confusion. “How can you be questioning the when of this passage?” they ask. “The answer is obvious.”

The problem is that I get at least two completely different “obvious” answers. Minority opinions add even more alternatives.