"Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?"-- Rev. Patrick Malphrus

 

Greetings to you all, and Merry Christmas! I must admit that as I typed that Christmas greeting, the popular “Ralph in Danger” meme came to mind. For those of you less versed in internet memeology, allow me to educate you. “Ralph in Danger” refers to the image below of Ralph Wiggum, son of Police Chief Wiggum in The Simpsons, sitting in the back of a bus with the subtitle: “(chuckles) I’m in Danger”. This meme template has been used for all sorts of applications, but I think my own usage below is applicable.

I know, I know, not all of us see eye to eye on Christmas. My intention is not to stir up debate or sow seeds of discord. Over the last couple of weeks, I have been blessed by the excellent articles published on this blog by good friends, several of which I “speak” with on an almost daily basis. “Speak” is in quotations because our speaking with one another is normally in electronic format, but we communicate nonetheless. Most of the time we are in full agreement. Sometimes we aren’t. And that’s ok. I hope these men know how much they have blessed me, and how the Lord has used them to bring me comfort and encouragement in very difficult times. In light of this, the purpose of this article is not to challenge my brothers or propose some sort of counterpoint. Instead, I just want to offer a simple reminder about Christmas time and the opportunity this season provides.

 Hopefully you noticed the title of this article—“Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?” If you know where this quote comes from you get extra bonus points. For the rest of you philistines who aren’t as knowledgeable concerning all things good in Western Civilization, the quote comes from my absolute favorite TV program, A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Hopefully you are familiar with this television classic that first aired on CBS on December 9, 1965. This year is a little different (what an understatement THAT is). Instead of airing on CBS, as it has for the last 54 years, in what was perhaps the most 2020iest thing of 2020, Apple purchased all rights to the Peanuts gang and had planned to show A Charlie Brown Christmas and other Charlie Brown seasonal specials exclusively on Apple TV. But when It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown failed to air around Halloween, there was a massive public outcry, accompanied by various petitions and other forms of protest. As a result, Apple allowed PBS to air both A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and A Charlie Brown Christmas. 

If you were able to view both on PBS, I hope you enjoyed the Thanksgiving special because it likely will not return. Accusations of rayyyycisum (misspelled intentionally to denote liberal screeching noises) have already been leveled at A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving because the character of Franklin, who happens to be black, receives the busted chair at the end of the table instead of one of the good lawn chairs. My only response to this is a hearty “GOOD GRIEF”. The fact that a black character was included in this special in 1973, when it originally aired, was an accomplishment in and of itself. But I digress.

Back to the subject at hand, namely Christmas and the opportunity it provides. I love A Charlie Brown Christmas for many reasons. It is filled with wholesome humor and provides a sense of nostalgia that is unparalleled. Well, in my mind, at least. Also it has just about the best Christmas music soundtrack that I know of. But the main reason I love A Charlie Brown Christmas is because of the truth it reveals about the opportunity Christmas provides.

 Bear with me if you know the plot, but the main storyline of the program is that Charlie Brown has been asked to direct his school’s nativity pageant. This in itself is quite incredible. That there was a time when public schools would not only recognize our Lord’s existence, but celebrate Him is unbelievable. Again, I know that there are some with strong convictions about nativity scenes, Christmas programs, and so forth. I get it. But that’s not what this article is about. Stay on target. The reason Charlie Brown agreed to direct his school’s nativity pageant was because of "psychiatric" advice given to him by the one and only, Lucy van Pelt.

After going to Lucy’s makeshift psychiatry office, Charlie Brown tells Lucy “I feel depressed. I know I should be happy, but I’m not.” Then, in an effort to earn her counseling session fee (which was a nickel), Lucy goes down a list of phobias that Charlie Brown might be experiencing. He then stops her and says “Actually Lucy, my trouble is Christmas. I just don’t understand it. Instead of feeling happy, I feel sort of let down.” Lucy’s response is that Charlie Brown needs what she calls “involvement”. Lucy tells him that he needs to get involved in Christmas projects. And so Charlie Brown is roped into directing his school’s nativity pageant.

 You might wonder why Charlie Brown was feeling let down by Christmas. If you were to start at the beginning of the program, among other things, you’d find that Charlie Brown hadn’t received any Christmas cards and that his beloved dog Snoopy had plans to enter his doghouse into a Christmas decorating contest in order to win "big money prizes".

Adding to his frustration, after visiting Lucy and on his way to the school to direct the pageant, Charlie Brown is stopped by his kid sister, Sally, and is asked to help her write her letter to Santa Claus. In her letter, which starts out innocently enough, Sally checks off all of her boxes. She inquires into Santa and Mrs. Claus’s well-being and then goes on to remind Santa that she has been an “extra good” girl all year. And, as a result of her goodness, she asks Santa to take special note of the size and color of her desired presents and asks him to “send as many as possible”. To this, Charlie Brown utters his typical “Oh Brother!”. Sally, who is supposed to be 6 years old, mind you, then goes on to have Charlie Brown write “If it seems too complicated, make it easy on yourself. Just send money. How about 10s and 20s?” to which Charlie Brown responds “Even my baby sister!” and then runs away. Things only continue to go downhill from there.

Charlie Brown arrives at the school and tries to corral his classmate actors into preparing for the pageant. He is forced to contend with everything from Schroeder’s excellent piano playing skills and his classmates’ desire to dance instead of act (pictured above), to fussy demands from the “Christmas Queen” herself, Lucy van Pelt. Frustrated, Charlie Brown and his best friend Linus eventually leave the school in order to purchase a Christmas tree. Upon arriving at the Christmas tree lot, Charlie Brown and Linus find trees that are all the rage, gigantic and made out of aluminum. Finally, Charlie Brown finds the only real tree on the whole lot and it is, how shall I say this, pathetic. 

 Even so, Charlie Brown insists on bringing the little tree back for use in the pageant. Shortly after returning everyone but Linus proceeds to mock Charlie Brown, calling him the typical “blockhead” and other names. Lucy puts the icing on the cake when she says “You’ve been dumb before Charlie Brown, but this time you really did it.” At this, everyone except Linus begins laughing at Charlie Brown’s expense. Heartbreakingly, even his faithful beagle Snoopy laughs at his master and bounces away.

 Charlie Brown responds to these things by turning to Linus and saying “Everything I do turns into a disaster. I guess I don’t know what Christmas is all about.” And then, turning to face the auditorium, Charlie Brown throws up his hands and yells “Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?”

 Now, aside from this stroll down memory lane, what is the point in my writing all these things? Hopefully you remember that a few paragraphs ago I wrote “the main reason I love A Charlie Brown Christmas is because of the truth it reveals about the opportunity Christmas provides.” Well, what truth does Charlie Brown reveal? What opportunity does Christmas provide?

 As God’s Word reveals in Ecclesiastes 1:9, there is nothing new under the sun. Though it premiered in 1965, in the singular moment described above, Charlie Brown reveals the quandary and confusion faced by so much of the world around us right here, 55 years later, in 2020. In one simple statement, Charlie Brown articulates so much of the sentiment present in the world today. You must realize the nature of the world around us. We live in a world that is wondering and wandering. A world that has been duped into believing so many different things. A world that has purchased a bill of goods that has only brought disappointment and frustration.

 Christmas gets bigger and bigger every year, beginning as soon as Halloween ends. As of late, folks have taken to celebrating other cultural holidays along with Christmas. Why? Because the world’s concept of Christmas is a gigantic letdown. Christmas is a time when nostalgia is sold at a premium, and where joy and good cheer are the order of the day, yet our world is not equipped to be joyful or of good cheer. How could they be? The world around us wanders in darkness, clueless about what really matters, about what really fulfills, and about what really lasts. Like Charlie Brown, the world around you, whether they can articulate it or not, is begging to know the answer to the question “Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?” This is the truth A Charlie Brown Christmas reveals. But herein we also find the opportunity that Christmas provides. An opportunity that Linus recognized and took.

Back to the school auditorium. In response to Charlie Brown’s cry for meaning, Linus stepped forward and said “Sure Charlie Brown. I can tell you what Christmas is all about”. Then Linus called for stage lights and recited Luke 2: 1-14, and upon its completion he said “That’s what Christmas is all about Charlie Brown.” Though a work of fiction, Linus took the opportunity provided by God and the discontentment of the Christmas season to testify to the truth of Jesus Christ and the fact that He is our Savior. Why, Linus even dropped his trusty blue security blanket when he reached verse 10 in his recitation of Luke 2, when the angel said “Fear not”.

 The reason the world is striving for meaning and significance at Christmas, and the reason the world is incapable of experiencing real joy, are one in the same. The world does not know Jesus, the only true source of joy. After all, Jesus is the reason for the good tidings of great joy the angels proclaimed to the shepherds in Luke 2, that Linus so appropriately quoted.

 In light of the reality we face, what will you do this Christmas season? Healthy theological discussions are fantastic among brothers in the faith. I welcome respectful debate over things like 2^nd Commandment violations, exclusive vs. inclusive psalmody, etc. Let us continue sharpening one another in our theological convictions. However, let us not miss the opportunity we have to address a world that is wondering and wandering. Let us be ready to testify to the truth of Jesus Christ and the glory of the Gospel.

 If you’re not fond of the cultural side of Christmas, feel free to give me a call and shout a hearty “BAH HUMBUG!” into my ear. It may make you feel better. I’m your brother and can take it. But don’t let the world see that side of you. Let them see the joy of Christ alive within you. And the same goes for those of you who love the cultural side of Christmas like I do (and unashamedly so). Maybe one of these days we can all enjoy a strong glass of eggnog together. I know a great recipe. Merry Christmas.

(All images are owned by Schultz, Apple, and come courtesy of Flickr.com)