“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” Luke 2:9-10 NIV
When I read these verses every year before Christmas there is always a distinct image in my head; Linus holding his blue blanket. You most likely grew up watching “A Charlie Brown Christmas” (1965) like I did. When I was a kid, we had three channels to choose from. Channel surfing took five seconds. My brother and I were the remote control and there was no pause, rewind, or skipping commercials (my boys know them as “ads”). If you had to use the bathroom, you held it or you were going to miss something important. There was no searching for something good to watch. You just watched whatever was on those three channels at that moment. And God help the poor soul who dared call the house during an important show. You had to answer every phone call as there was no caller ID. Thus, you treated every call as if it were an emergency. I always grabbed the television schedule from the Sunday newspaper so I would know how to plan my week. Especially at Christmas time, you had to know when the classics were being aired or you would have to wait an entire year before you could see them again.
The Charlie Brown special was one of those shows I had to watch every year. Charles Schulz had a gift in bringing a practical message to families through entertaining us with his well-known and beloved Peanuts characters. This is much different from many of the shows that are in front of our kids these days. My boys know very well my phrase, “mindless garbage,” that I have always used to describe these animated shows that kids watch these days. I did not let my boys watch this stuff. There is a reason why “A Charlie Brown Christmas” has stood the test of time. Mr. Schulz not only entertained kids, but also spoke directly to the hearts of parents as they could relate to the hustle and bustle, the distractions, and the stress and worry over the unimportant at Christmas time. I will not detail the plot as you yourself have most likely seen the show several times. At the end of the show, Charlie Brown frantically asks, “Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?” Linus answers this question by recanting the real story of Christmas as told in Luke 2.
I believe it has been a few years since I have watched this special. But thanks to Mr. Schulz, every time I read Luke 2, I picture Linus standing on that stage with his trusty blue blanket. He reminds his friends and all of us, that the true meaning of Christmas is JOY. The angel of the Lord told the shepherds that the “good news” would “cause great joy for all the people.” Christmas is a time of joy. We know that, but we also so easily forget it as we make it about other things. I am guilty. I too must remind myself every year what Christmas is, and should always be, about. There are so many superficial things surrounding Christmas that we use to bring us joy during this season. I admit that I too greatly enjoy those things. But the joy that they bring does not last. That joy is forgotten somewhere between December 26th and January 2nd. True joy, the joy of God’s redemptive plan for His people, the joy that those living in that time experienced, is a joy that never leaves. This kind of joy is not a feeling. It is a part of who we are.
As the days dwindle down before Christmas day, take some time to establish with your family what Christmas is all about. Teach your kids to find joy in the message. There is a meaning behind most of those classic Christmas songs that we love to listen to. Make sure your children understand it. There is a reason Christmas is so special. Many have tried to take that reason away. Many do not even use the word Christmas anymore. If we continue to allow Christmas to turn into “The Holidays,” then Christmas will not, cannot, provide the real JOY that makes it what it is. The inexpressible joy at Christmas is not produced from superficial things. It only comes from the message of hope and redemption through the birth of Jesus.
Linus got it right. Men, fathers, set the tone in your homes. You too need to get it right this Christmas.
