A Charlie Brown Christmas came on television last week. You’ll remember in the story that Charlie Brown was so frustrated by the commercialism of Christmas that he wanted to take action. At Lucy’s advice, he tried to pull together a Christmas play, which brought even more frustration. Then he took his friend, Linus, to buy a Christmas tree. Bypassing the popular aluminum trees, Charlie found a scrawny ‘real’ tree and brought it to the play. “Do they still make wooden Christmas trees?” Linus asked. Of course, everyone made fun of the tree and Charlie, in great despair, asked the all-important question: “Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?” Linus then walked to center stage and quoted Luke 2:8-14 from the King James version of the Bible. “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them… And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace and goodwill towards men.’” “That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown,” Linus concluded.
The head of CBS did not want to air the show. Those that previewed it gave horrible criticisms. The cartoon was too simplistic. The music wasn’t right. The voices weren’t right. (Children with no experience were chosen over veteran actors.) Even when producers Lee Mendelson and Bill Melendez previewed the show, they moaned, “We’ve ruined Charlie Brown.” Several argued: “You can’t read the Bible on a television show!” But Charles Schulz, the creator of Peanuts, was adamant. “If we don’t tell the true meaning of Christmas, who will?”
The program first aired in 1965 and over 50% of American televisions tuned in. It won an Emmy and a Peabody Award and has been a Christmas classic for 45 years. Critics became fans. Harriet Van Horne of the New York World-Telegram wrote: “Linus’ reading of the story of the Nativity was, quite simply, the dramatic highlight of the season.” Many even credit the demise of the aluminum Christmas tree to this program.
God is so good. He sees people walking through the malls asking, “So this is Christmas?” and answers with a cartoon. He sees us confused about the meaning of life and permits a child to read His Word to remind a nation of the greatest Gift of all time. He sees war and hatred and serious arguments and petty squabbles and reminds us that He sent Peace to earth in the form of a Baby. He can use children; He can use cartoon characters; He can use an unlikely ex-Beatle; and He can use you and me to proclaim peace in a troubled world.
Of course outside of Jesus there is no true peace. Examine the life of John Lennon for a tragic example. Without the Prince of Peace no one has hope. Here’s the beautiful truth: “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For He himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law and its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which He put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.” Ephesians 2:13-18
May the peace of God be yours this Christmas!
(here’s verse two of John Lennon’s song: ‘So This Is Christmas’)
And so this is Christmas
For weak and for strong
For rich and the poor ones
The road is so long.
And so happy Christmas
For black and for white
For yellow and red ones,
Let’s stop all the fight.
A very merry Christmas
And a happy new year.
Let’s hope it’s a good one
Without any fear.