Probably one of my favorite traditions during Christmas is watching the Charlie Brown Christmas Special. No matter how old I get, I still love watching it every year. I love the subtle yet crystal clear message of how much we need Jesus to understand the truest meaning of Christmas. I have always loved the Peanuts, especially, Linus, Snoopy, and Woodstock. However, in this particular special, I almost always end up resonating with Charlie Brown the most.
My family’s Christmas tradition is to give gifts early. We hardly ever give gifts on Christmas and we don't really set up a Christmas tree that much anymore. So I see Christmas as a meaningful time for my family to get together, but I also see some of the “traditions” as a hassle to go through just to have to take it down the day after.
Christmas has always been a mystery to me. Even though I know the Nativity Story by heart. Something about A Charlie Brown Christmas has always touched my heart. It wasn't until I recently read an article about a specific detail that I realized why I like it so much. The article was about Linus. He is Charlie Brown's best friend and well known for his iconic blue blanket. However, not only does he have the whole Nativity story memorized, he also sets down his blanket to tell the kids the story. In that moment Linus didn't need his blanket. Guys I cannot emphasis enough that Linus laid down what was, probably, the most precious thing to him to let the other children know about the true meaning of Christmas: Christ.
Linus’ blue blanket was his security blanket. He carried it with him everywhere he went. For about thirty seconds, in the middle of his recitation of Luke 2:8-24, as Linus says “fear not,” he drops his blanket; the thing that gives him the most comfort. In that moment Linus forgets his fear and is able to speak up before all of his peers. Charles Shultz, the creator of the Peanuts comic, could not be sending a clearer message. With Jesus came the absence of fear. From birth, Jesus was working to separate us from fear and instead latch onto Him.
Our security comes from the fact that Jesus Christ was born and died in exchange for our lives. Linus was able to articulate the importance of Christ’s birth and then picked up his blanket again. I never really understood why until part two came out and it stated that our faith is fragile. As creatures of habit, it is only a matter of time before we reach down to pick up the thing that gives us the most comfort or issue. Much like Linus, we pick up our problems we lay down, because it has become a habit to worry.
The beautiful thing is, Linus not only drops his blanket but he also uses it, near the end, to create a blanket for the Christmas tree that Charlie Brown buys. The whole Special ends with the children all gathered around the tree, which now looks beautiful, and sing “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” together. The blanket can be seen as a tree skirt, but it shows Linus has no inclination to pick it up again. In the end Jesus won out and Linus along with the other children let go of their misconception about Christmas and sing about the coming of a baby called Christ.
Even fifty years after its first presentation, A Charlie Brown Christmas is still watched and loved by millions around the world. In an increasingly secular time, Charlie Brown and Linus are able to bring a sliver of Jesus back into Christmas. Charlie Brown may have been the main character but Linus, to me, is the real star of this special. I cherish the moments of showing this to my non-Christian friends and seeing them slowly smile and melt away at the innocence this 25-minute movie can bring. As a new year starts, it is hard to not feel fear and anxiety for what is to come.
Take a chapter out of Linus’ book and let go of your fear, even if it is just for a moment and dwell in all that is good in Jesus Christ.
