To me no other passage from the Bible captures the
true meaning of Christmas quite like Luke 2:8-11. It tells of the “good news” announcing God’s
gift to the world, a Savior. A message
that gets told so often and in different forms that one runs the risk of taking
it for granted. However, if we truly
listen and lay witness to the signs all around us the Gift is alive and well.
Growing up, my husband Rafael and I loved to watch
the Charlie Brown Christmas Special. It is a tradition that we have lovingly
passed along to our kids. They have a lot of questions while we watch, like the
meaning of “blockhead” and how true it could be that a bird could possibly get
along and with a dog, who types for that matter. I think they talk and critique
throughout most of the cartoon except for the one part when they are completely
silent. I’m sure you are familiar with it. It’s the scene where Charlie Brown
presents everyone with the small, lopsided, Christmas tree. Not meeting
expectations, everyone accuses him of not knowing the meaning of Christmas. Charlie
Brown, true to character, begins to wonder and question the meaning of
Christmas. All of the characters are
silent and a single spotlight shines on Linus. He answers Charlie Brown in a
determined voice:
In
that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their
flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of
the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to
them, “Do not be afraid; for see-I am bringing good news of great joy for all
the people; to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the
Messiah, the Lord.” LUKE 2:8-11
“And that is the meaning of Christmas, Charlie Brown”
says Linus. Profoundly and yet so simply a cartoon reminds us that Christmas is
not about how ornate our tree is but about the beauty of the original gift.
On the very first Christmas we were given a
wonderful gift, a Savior, someone to help and deliver us. Jesus, God’s gift to us, is available every
day. This season take time to look a
little closer and lay witness to the ultimate gift, receive the gift available
to all mankind, and spread the good news.
Anamaria Mares, 2012 Children’s Council Chair, Agape
Sunday school member
