Today marks the 55th anniversary of the iconic cartoon special known as A Charlie Brown Christmas. On December 9, 1965 and every year thereafter, public television broadcasted this heartwarming cartoon with its all-important message. Unfortunately, 2020 will see the end of this noble tradition. Apple TV+ purchased the rights to the special, so it will no longer be aired on television as we know it.
While I am sad to see the end of the public broadcast of an American classic, it’s important to note that the message of the special is as timeless as ever. The climax of the story comes when everything seems to be going wrong for Charlie Brown’s Christmas plans, yet Linus steps in to answer the all-important question “Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?” His answer is simply to recite the famous passage from the Bible which describes the birth of our savior Jesus Christ.
Sadly, fighting the war on Christmas has become almost as much of a tradition as the Charlie Brown Christmas special. Every year, the political pundits line up to falsely claim that Christmas is not under attack, despite the Nativity displays being quietly removed from schools, programs, and town squares. The debate goes back and forth until the New Year when everyone issues a ceasefire in the war until the next Christmas season. I don’t want to give up fighting for Christmas. We cannot allow the left to destroy America’s cherished Christian traditions. Preventing Americans from celebrating a recognized federal holiday makes as much sense as accepting psychiatric advice from an unlicensed young girl.
However, let’s never lose focus of what Christmas is really about. Ironically, the meaning of Christmas is exactly why liberals want so desperately to suppress it. Christmas is about the birth of God incarnate. He came to offer redemption and hope to people living in darkness. There will always be people who want to stifle the spread of hope. We need to keep fighting the war on Christmas because the message of Christmas is worth spreading.
