Monday, December 12, 2022

Christmas Wisdom from the Peanuts: Do Not Be Afraid!


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In reflecting on the meaning of Christmas, Chapel Dean Luke Powery follows the plot of the 1965 animated Peanuts special A Charlie Brown Christmas. Charlie Brown asks, “Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?” Lucy leads the charge in producing a Christmas pageant, but it is the thumb-sucking Linus who steps forward to tell the Christmas story from the Gospel of Luke.

"At first glance, we may just think that Linus did a fine job in reciting the sacred text," Dean Powery writes about Linus's speech. "But as he speaks, something happens. Linus, who could not be separated from his security blanket, drops the blanket as he recites these verses. And what’s interesting is that he drops it when he says these words from the story: 'Fear not.'"

"So whether you celebrate Christmas or not, consider the example of Charlie Brown’s wise friend Linus," Dean Powery says. "We can let go of the security blankets that we have been gripping so tightly, releasing our fears in order to finally be free."

Read the column.