Eric Reece
When Jesus was born, Mary did what all mothers did back then: she wrapped him tightly in swaddling clothes.
“Swaddling clothes” was like a blanket made of pieces of linen. For many centuries, newborns were wrapped in swaddling clothes. The infant felt safe, warm and could relax and sleep.
In many cultures, the babies are wrapped in a cradle board that is made out of wood and plant fibers. I read that when Junaluska was a baby, his mother had him wrapped in a cradle board and set him against a tree. Somehow, he fell over and was called “Gu Ka Las Ki,” meaning, “one who falls from a leaning position.”
As babies get older, blankets become security blankets. They will not go anywhere without their blankets. It can be dirty, but it is still their favorite blanket and in their hands almost all the time. Security blankets work because they give the babies something to hold on to and they have a part of home with them to give them comfort.
One of the famous security blankets belongs to Linus of the Peanuts gang. Linus always has his security blanket. He tries and tries to give it up. Snoopy tries to take it, but Linus always gets it back.
In 1967, it was decided to have a Charlie Brown Christmas special. Series creator Charles Schutlz was a devout Christian and wanted the story of Jesus’ birth included.
The story was about Charlie Brown having a rough time around Christmas. Lucy talks him into directing the Christmas play. He buys a real tree everyone makes fun of. Everyone knows what a Charlie Brown tree is.
Nothing seems to be going right for Charlie and he feels like a failure. He says out loud that no one understands the real meaning of Christmas.
That is when Linus steps in to help everyone know what Christmas is all about.
He goes to the center of the stage and as the spotlight shines on him, he starts to recite the Christmas story from Luke 2.
“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.”
When he gets to the part of the shepherd overcome with fear at the sight of the angels, he says, “And the angel said unto them, Fear not!”
He drops his blanket! His security blanket that he is always holding. Dropping the blanket shows the birth of Jesus brings to all a message of hope, removing all fear and anxieties.
The blanket stays on the ground as he finishes the Christmas story, with the words, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
He picks it up, walks over to Charlie Brown and says, “That is what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.”
We may not hold on to blankets, but we may hold on to past pains that keep us from fully living life. Just as Linus dropped the blanket, God can help us drop the pain in our life and we do not have to pick it up again.
This is what Christmas is all about.
Eric Reece is the faith columnist for The Graham Star. He is pastor of Robbinsville United Methodist Church and can be reached via email, ereece@wnccumc.net.