A Charlie Brown Christmas is a must-watch during the holiday season. Snoopy always has me laughing and I get a kick out of the old animation. In this particular story, Charlie Brown just doesn't seem to be happy during Christmastime because of the large focus on the commercialization of the holiday. He spends the majority of the story wondering what the whole point of Christmas really is. Linus ends up telling Charlie Brown what Christmas is truly about, and that is the part that makes this film one of my favorites.
"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 the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not; for, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, 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 and goodwill towards men."
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"...That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown."
*mic drop*
But seriously. Linus shared the greatest story of all. We celebrate this joyous season to remember that Jesus was born of this world in order to save us all. I know it's hard not to get caught up in the Christmas hype, though. It seems that once Halloween ends, all the Christmas stuff gets thrown in our faces. Don't get me wrong, I think Santa is one of the coolest dudes ever, but even he would tell you that Jesus is the one that gives us a reason to celebrate every year.
Living in a world that is so focused on material things makes it difficult sometimes to grasp what truly matters. We hone in on finding the perfect gift for everyone we love, yet we seem to skip over the fact that maybe just spending time together is what really matters. Our money doesn't matter in the end because at the end of the day, our time and love are some of the greatest gifts we can give people. The story of the first Christmas is a great way to remind ourselves that simplicity can definitely trump extravagance. Jesus, the Son of God, King of kings, Lord of everything, was born in a dirty stable on this earth that is riddled with sin. Our God deemed it okay for an ordinary young woman to give birth to the greatest man to ever grace this earth. The man who would give up his life for every person on the earth in hopes that they will join him in Heaven one day. Wow. That's pretty amazing stuff, huh?
The wise men were right to bring those luxurious gifts to Jesus when he was born. In the presence of a king, wouldn't you do the same? We give gifts to our loved ones because Christmastime is the time to throw a party and celebrate like we've never celebrated before. Jesus' birth marked the beginning of a brand new hope for this world. We were broken and lost without him, but he came to wash us new and give us the chance to wholly know him. What better way to remember his birth than by surrounding ourselves with our loved ones and reflecting on the beginning of Jesus' journey on this earth. He came into this world just like me and you. Except he came with the purpose of saving our souls so we can live in paradise with him one day.
"Be still, and know that I am God." -Psalm 46:10
Merry Christmas.
