Advent Reflections on “Die Hard” (1988)
Every December a friendly debate surfaces about whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie. I am not here to settle that question. What interests me is something deeper. Beneath the gunfire, glass shards, and memorable one-liners is a narrative structure that resonates with Christian themes in surprising ways. The film does not preach, yet it brushes up against ideas that Scripture takes seriously. Incarnation. Sacrifice. Redemption. Reconciliation. Even the nature of power. It is an unlikely Advent meditation but could be a meditation all the same. Entering Enemy Territory John McClane begins the story far from triumphant. He arrives in Los Angeles awkward and vulnerable. His marriage is strained. His pride is in the way. He steps into Nakatomi Plaza not as a conquering hero but as a man attempting to reconcile with his wife. He even removes his shoes because of a tip meant to calm his nerves. Minutes later that small act leaves him exposed and fragile. This is not the incarnation, but ...
