How many here have watched Charlie Brown Christmas? It first aired in 1965 and features Charlie Brown struggling at Christmas. He is frustrated at the commercialisation of it all – Snoopy’s heavily decorated house hoping to win the neighbourhood lights and display contest; Sally’s greedy letter to Santa; the behaviour of his friends as they try to put together a Christmas pageant.
To help focus, he decides to get a Christmas tree to set the mood. Charlie Brown picks the only real tree on the lot, a small sapling that looks questionable. Charlie Brown believes that, once it is decorated, it will be perfect.
When he returns, the group makes fun of his choice. As they laugh at him, Charlie Brown loudly asks if anyone knows what Christmas is all about.
Linus, the often-quiet character who is depicted with his thumb in his mouth and holding a security blanket bravely steps to centre stage and asks for a spotlight. It is then he shares the words we just heard:
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;
Let me stop here for a second, because something subtle happens as he speaks. I suspect it is so subtle that most people may not even notice. As soon as Linus says do not be afraid, he drops his blanket.
Why would that be significant? What message do you think this is meant to send?
Linus says do not be afraid. The Gospel story shows us that the shepherds were not afraid – they went to Bethlehem to see and returned proclaiming the Good News. We too are challenged to not be afraid and proclaim the Good News, to embrace the true meaning of Christmas, God with us as an infant come on the margins to transform our sense of love.
May we, with the shepherds not fear sharing that love with the world this day and ever more. This we pray as we sing: 135 Shepherds in the Fields Abiding