Dear God, it’s Christmas Eve, and I was thinking a couple of days ago about American “Christians” (I put “Christians” in quotes because I feel like it is largely cultural Christians who have no real knowledge of you), and I was thinking about how they celebrate the Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol version of Christmas (family and loving the unfortunate) instead of the real meaning of Christmas. And I’ve been sucked into this too. I think more about the It’s a Wonderful Life version than really sinking myself into they mystery of not only what you did over 2,000 years ago but why you did it.
As I thought more about this, it occurred to me that Charlie Brown Christmas is actually a brilliant example that illustrates Christian emptiness at Christmas–and this was back in the mid-60s when American was supposedly still great according to recent politics. So, this morning, I thought I would watch Charlie Brown Christmas and outline the content to see if it really is as sneakily brilliant as I have it in my head.
- Open with Charlie Brown (from now on I’ll just refer to him as Charlie) and Linus standing at the wall talking. Charlie says, “l think there must be something wrong with me, Linus. Christmas is coming, but I’m not happy. I don’t feel the way I’m supposed to feel. I just don’t understand Christmas I guess. I like getting presents, and sending Christmas cards, and decorating trees, and all that, but I’m still not happy. I always end up feeling depressed.” Linus replies, “Charlie Brown, you’re the only person I know who can take a wonderful season like Christmas and turn it into a problem.”
- Ice skating scene with all of the children and Snoopy.
- Charlie looks in his empty mailbox and is upset that no one sent him a Christmas card. “I know nobody likes me. Why do we have to have a holiday season to emphasize it?”
- He confronts Violet for not sending him a card.
- The children play at trying to hit a can with snowballs (Linus uses his blanket to hit it).
- Charlie goes to Lucy for psychiatric help (he must pay in advance). He tells Lucy he’s depressed. Lucy decides to label his problem with a phobia. Lucy ultimately decides he needs “involvement.” That will solve the problem, so she puts him in charge of the Christmas play. Then she complains she gets depressed at Christmas every year, but she gets depressed because all she gets is toys and not what she really wants: real estate.
- Snoopy decorates his house and Charlie complains the neighborhood decorating contest claims it’s about finding the true meaning of Christmas and Snoopy has gone commercial.
- Sally asks Charlie to help her write her letter to Santa. Her letter disgusts Charlie too.
- At rehearsal, Lucy tells the kids Charlie will be the director. They complain and Snoopy boos.
- Charlie tries to take charge of the play. The kids stop paying attention and start dancing again.
- Lucy (Script Girl) passes out the scripts and assigns roles.
- Charlie starts to direct. First up, the “scene at the inn.” Sally will be Linus the Shepherd’s wife.
- Lucy calls lunch break and asks for role as Christmas Queen.
- Every time Charlie calls action they break into dancing to Schroeder’s piano playing.
- Lucy explains to Charlie that “we all know that Christmas is a big commercial racket. It’s run by a big eastern syndicate, you know.”
- Charlie decides to resist the commercialization of the Christmas show by getting a Christmas tree. He and Linus start their quest for a tree.
- Amidst the orange and purple metal trees, he finds one that looks like it “needs a home.” “I think it needs me.”
- Lucy and Schroeder have a scene about Beethoven and Christmas music.
- Charlie and Linus return with the now infamous tree. The children immediately react: “Boy, are you stupid, Charlie Brown!” “What kind of a tree is that?!?” “You were supposed to get a good tree! Can’t you even tell a good tree from a poor tree?!?” “I told you he’d goof it up! He’s not the kind you can depend on to do anything right.” “You’re hopeless, Charlie Brown.” “Completely hopeless!” “You’ve been dumb before, Charlie Brown, but this time you really did it!” “What a tree!” Then they all mockingly laugh at him and walk away.
- Charlie relents to Linus that he picked the wrong tree and he just doesn’t know what Christmas is all about. “Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?!?”
- This is when Linus tells the shepherds’ story from Luke 2. “That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.”
- Charlie takes his tree and heads home with a smile on his face (“Oh Christmas Tree” plays instrumentally and we get Linus’s voiceover of the shepherds’ story from Luke 2 again.”
- Snoopy’s house won first prize and Charlie initially is dumbfounded, but the decides to rise above and not let the commercialization ruin his Christmas.
- Charlie puts a single ornament on the tree and it leans over from the weight. “I’ve killed it. Oh! Everything I touched gets ruined.” He sulks off.
- The children come upon the tree, Linus says, “I never though it was such a bad little tree. Maybe it just needs a little love,” lifts it up straight, and wraps hit blanket around the bottom like a Christmas tree skirt. Then all of the children take the decorations from Snoopy’s house and use them to decorate the tree.
- Lucy says, “Charlie Brown is a blockhead, but he did get a nice tree.” Then they all start singing “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing,” echoing the shepherds’ story Linus told them.
- Charlie comes back and finds everyone next to his tree. “What’s going on here?!?” They all shout, “Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown,” and start singing “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing” over the credits.
- The End
So this is interesting. At the end of the day, the writers of Charlie Brown Christmas aren’t pointing us to Mary, Joseph, and Jesus and their experience that day. They are pointing us to the shepherds. For unto us (including me) is born the Messiah, the Lord. Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”
Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, I can’t remember a year when I was more dialed in on the incarnation of Jesus at Christmas. Yes, I’ve watched It’s a Wonderful Life and other traditional “Christmas movies” (including Die Hard), but I’ve also spent more time than ever really examining, thinking about and praying about what you did for us–for me. I’m going to four church services over the next 20 hours. One Protestant so I can have communion, and three with my wife while she sings and leads worship. I’m looking forward to these celebrations. I’m looking forward to appreciating you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!
I pray all of this only because I am able to as a result of this very gift,
Amen
Emails to God 