“Doesn’t anyone know what Christmas is all about?!”
“Sure, Charlie Brown, I can tell you. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the lord shone round about them, and they were so afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not, for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you this day is born in the City of Bethlehem, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; you shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. 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, good will toward men.’ That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.” - A Charlie Brown Christmas; Charles Schulz
Charlie Brown asks a question that so many people are asking at this time of year, even Christians. Sally’s response is so typical of the world today; “All I want is what I have coming to me. All I want is my fair share.” Christmas lists, shopping malls, Internet shopping, credit card bills, over spending, commercials spouting “buy me! buy me!”, this is what Christmas has become about. It used to be you wouldn’t see a Christmas tree or a commercial promoting Christmas until after Thanksgiving. But now the marketers can’t wait that long, so they’ve started their campaigns right after Halloween. It’s all about money, it was true when I was a kid and it’s true today. And all this focus on money takes our eyes off Jesus (Matt 6:24)
Depression
Most people these days look at what they don’t have, always wanting more. This is especially true around Christmas time. Depression increases as does the suicide rate. Even Lucy picks up on this; “I know how you feel about all this Christmas business, getting depressed and all that. It happens to me every year. I never get what I really want. I always get a lot of stupid toys or a bicycle or clothes or something like that.” What causes everyone to get depressed around Christmas? Lucy touches on the answer, they start looking at the things they don’t have, their focus becomes inward rather than outward. They want a bigger house, or a bigger TV, or maybe a more prestigious car sitting in their driveway with a big red bow tied around it. It’s all about the stuff, the more presents under the tree the better. But what happens once the initial rush of getting what they want wears off? They want something bigger, something better. It’s never enough. (Ecc 2:10-11). How many of the toys your children receive for Christmas do they still play with after New Years? Or by next summer? We are sending the wrong message at Christmas. We are telling people that their worth is determined by what they own, not who they are. No wonder people get depressed around Christmas, we are forcing them to evaluate their lives by their stuff. Stuff is temporary (1 John 2:15-17), but the bills live forever.
Loneliness
With so much attention being spent on ourselves or our immediate family we sometimes forget about those around us who have no one. There are millions of people who don’t have anyone, whether due to death, divorce, abandonment, or any number of other reasons, they are all alone. Not just during Christmas but all through the year. The first images that come to most people’s minds are the homeless or the elderly in nursing homes. But it could be your neighbor next door, or the person sitting next to you in church, or the kid who sits behind you in math class. We wish them a Merry Christmas and hurry on our way, oblivious to their hurt, blind to their problems. Is this the Christian way? (1 John 3:17). Christmas is a time of giving; when was the last time you gave to someone other than your family or church?
Jesus
Well the obvious answer (or is it?) to the meaning of Christmas is the birth of Jesus. Though for some reason that seems to get lost in the hustle and bustle of shopping. But if we somehow manage to remember the true meaning then we have to deal with all the naysayers who want to “dispel the myth of Christmas.” They want to tell us that Jesus couldn’t have been born in December, that the bible tells us that the shepherds were tending their sheep in the night, and that this could only indicate that the time of year was either spring or early fall. They point out that so many of the so-called Christmas traditions were actually introduced by pagans and should have no place in the celebration, and that the celebration itself is a pagan ritual to worship the Sun god during the winter solstice. They go to great lengths to take the joy and even Christ out of Christmas. They want to force everyone to reject Christ at this time of year and to accept whatever form their god takes, whether it be consumerism, spiritualism, or even self-worship. While they may have some valid points as to the origins of some of the traditions, and Jesus may or may not have been born in December, the fact remains that true Christians celebrate the birth of Christ at Christmas. We give because we have been given. We love because we are loved. So at this time of year there are two types of people, the Charlie Browns of the world, and the Linus’s of the world. Which type are you?
“Charlie Brown, you’re the only person I know who can take a wonderful season like Christmas and turn it into a problem. Maybe Lucy’s right. Of all the Charlie Browns in the world, you’re the Charlie Browniest. ”
