Well… it’s that time of year, the time when Rudolph partners with Yukon Cornelius, Where Chris puts one foot in front of the other, and Charlie Brown makes poor tree decisions. I love the nostalgia of the TV Christmas Animated Classics. It rarely feels like Christmas unless I revisit those holiday cheer builders.
Today as a part of my Christmas holiday music mix, I have the Vince Gauraldi Charlie Brown special music to mix up the Bing and the other classics. When I hear that Linus and Lucy bass line on the piano, I just want to break out in a two dimensional dance. There is something to the Charlie Brown Special that touches something in me. I think, in its strange little way, it does a good job of commenting on how we can get lost in Christmas time. As a kid, even though I couldn’t understand the King James that Linus recites, I knew that when Linus ends with “and That’s what Christmas is all about Charlie Brown” … He was right. There was something catholic to it. Whether it was the fact that it was a ritual show that I visited every year, or there was something high and liturgical to Linus’s voice and the way he said “Lo”. Regardless, today I can’t read the Christmas Story in Luke without starting it with “Lights Please?”
Last year my taste of the CB special took a turn for the worse. I somehow had placed this tradition of Charlie Brown Christmas as a spiritual glazing, only to be awaken as I saw it for the first time anew. I was with others as it was going on, and I started realizing its lack of plot. I started realizing its depressing nature. I forgot about it until I caught the show last week. And this time I was awaken out of my catholic stupor. I got up from watching, feeling like I had just been slimed. I quickly did a scan of the show, and realized that except for the music and the scripture reading, it was a pretty awful show. I think the thing that struck me so hard about it was the fact that the Peanuts kids were so cruel. And how that was THE storyline! Four frame elements that barely go together with CRUEL CHILDREN… I love how it ends: We get done with Linus saying that Christmas is about Jesus. The peanut kids rip off snoopy’s Christmas Decorations to fix the tree that Charlie Brown “killed”; and then the last line we hear is “Charlie Brown is a Block Head, but at least he got a good tree.” THAT’S THE END!?! I find it interesting that cartoon children, music and a scripture can cause me to wrap up a show with hardly a plot and nasty children and have it be a palatable present I pump into my brain every year.
I guess reading a scripture nicely and saying ‘that’s what Christmas is all about’ was all I needed. I just needed that Christmas bow. It didn’t matter what was inside, as long as I had the floral wording and fond nostalgia… I could gloss over the unkindness of the Peanuts Children, and the nonsensical storyline. Apparently scripture has a way of letting me go to warm Christmas Land where bells ring angels get their wings and Bumbles Bounce.
I get why I go there. When the bible is read, we start hearing about people who “Walked with God” people who “God told to do this or that” Sometimes we even hear what God did, and what he said. And it’s very easy to relax your mind a bit and go… “That God. He knows what he’s doing” And pay no attention to the reality of WHAT’S going on. Because no one has seen God… All of us have had a story or experience or a notion that somehow points to the fact on why we read this stuff. But it’s easy to fall into the fantasy of it all. The fact that God is Perfect, Grace is perfect, love is perfect. And When we read that flowery language we can gloss over the blockhead in front of us, and simply sing Hark the Harold.
The bible may dawns its floral wording, but I think our Christmas Land cloud is just our G rating to a EVERY bible story’s sinister reality. The life that EVERYONE who walked with God was in the depressing and very cruel Peanuts world.
Last week, I was at my in laws house. It’s always filled with kids and cousins. And Sam my 7 year old Nephew casually picked up a book from the kids area and sat on someone’s lap to have them read to him. It was the story of Noah’s Ark. On the front, it had this cartoon of a man with a beard on a boat with giraffes and a brightly colored rainbow above. Matty (the one reading the story) opened it up and started reading: “Once upon a time God planned to get rid of all humanity”! HeyOOOO! What a way to start a story! But the fact is, despite our Christmas Land glasses… the depressing reality of death, destruction, and a cruel world IS the bible.
Abraham – Doesn’t have a son for 90 years, then … has a son and is told to sacrifice him.Joseph – gets sold into slavery by his brothers, then gets put in jail for not sleeping with a woman.Moses - Hebrews were in slavery, Moses’ mother floated her baby down the river to insure that he didn’t get killed by the government (She saved her baby by floating him down the river… Hello Child protective services), Moses murders someone because of an injustice, Frogs! (wha?).David – faces the largest opponent (because no one else will) as a kid, goes into hiding because the current king wants to kill him.Elijah - who is starving, hunted down, and has all of his friends killed.Job – who is stricken with a terrible diseaseAnd all the prophets - had to tell kings that their government was going to crumble, tell enemies that God loved them, and had to provide a vision of hope when everyone was depressed and a prisoner of War.
Do you see a trend here? Life isn’t all that much fun. And then if you are with God, well that doesn’t exempt you. ‘Yes Geoff, but they were in Old Testament times. Which is a lot like the Paleolithic Age… cause they didn’t have cars and heat...They almost didn’t have fire. What about New Testament times?’ Surely with the invention of Jesus life must have made the world a little more “Christmasee.” But as you look… even Jesus’ life had a lot of peanuts in it:Check it out… 18-19The birth of Jesus took place like this. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. Before they came to the marriage bed, Joseph discovered she was pregnant.(WHOOPS) (It was by the Holy Spirit, but he didn't know that.) Joseph, chagrined but noble, determined to take care of things quietly so Mary would not be disgraced. (Um we are 18 verses into the first book of the New Testament, and we have just stumbled on a potential divorce… OF JESUS’ PARENTS!!! FYI, there is a significant amount of pain and feelings of betrayal to come to a decision of divorce, and we have THAT in the bible.)
20-23While he was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream. God's angel spoke in the dream: "Joseph, son of David, don't hesitate to get married. Mary's pregnancy is Spirit-conceived. God's Holy Spirit has made her pregnant. She will bring a son to birth, and when she does, you, Joseph, will name him Jesus—'God saves'—because he will save his people from their sins." This would bring the prophet's embryonic sermon to full term: Watch for this—a virgin will get pregnant and bear a son; They will name him Immanuel (Hebrew for "God is with us").
24-25Then Joseph woke up. He did exactly what God's angel commanded in the dream: He married Mary. But he did not consummate the marriage until she had the baby. He named the baby Jesus.
Oh it doesn’t end there. Kings come … the Christ family (Jesus and his parents… what was their last name anyway?) has to move because the ruler of the time decided that Jesus was a threat, so all baby boys were to be put to death. Then when all is clear the Christ family moves back. Moving isn’t fun, but I’d have to say: escaping because soldiers are going to kill your baby ranks up there on stress level. Bible characters didn’t really live in Christmas Land at all.
After skipping a bit you can read about an awful ending to a very godly man on the Cross.Even after the resurrection we see disciples die terrible deaths.
What am I saying here? I guess by these stories I wonder why we don’t expect more stuff to come our way. Why aren’t we more resilient? It’s pretty apparent in ALL of these stories that God saved these guys… But they didn’t live comfortable, easy lives. They weren’t on a cloud in Christmas Land, and even when they were in the zone, doing what God wanted them to do, doing the right thing, they could have easily asked “GOD WHAT AM I DOING HERE.”
Here the Christ family is at the dawn of Christianity, with Mary Pregnant. And about to be divorced. (Shh) “quietly” God HAS to intervene to say it’s His kid… There are two very strange things going on here. 1. God is involved, God is doing something. 2. A relationship is screwed up. God is on Maury saying that I’m the baby’s daddy. And the family that he “Blesses” with this is now having pre-marriage jitters. God is involved, conflict occurs. Does this seem strange?
This is not the scene on my aunt’s lawn. Where there is quiet pristine, mowed grass, a silent night. This is a very real birth with relationships, and hormones, and screaming and water breaking, and umbilical chords. A real live birth…. A baby boy… Jesus (not even their name)… And he probably did cry at the cattle lowing.
Two very real concepts at work here. God intimately involved. And Humanity Intimately involved. Stepping on each other’s toes and creating one heleva story! But not one that isn’t void of pain or danger.
When kids are cruel, when money runs out, when the stress level goes through the roof, I lose my focus on Linus’ words. I feel like I’m trapped in something other than Christmas. Many people dread the holiday season for these reasons. They begin trying their hardest to live in Christmas Land where there is a silent night. Put to sleep the reality of a birth, and huddle in the corner reading King Jimmy. They Rack up debt, they give into established family patterns, our motto is: LET’S SURVIVE DECEMBER! It’s Anti-Christmas!
When I listen to linus’ words, I know that Christmas is all about. But maybe it would be better for me if I knew what Christmas wasn’t about. Maybe I need to scream out like Charlie “What is Anti-Christmas all about? Does anyone know? Can anyone tell me?”
I was thinking about what Anti-Christmas might be… and I figured that it was probably lead by the Anti-Christ? In studying for this message I thought that it would be interesting to talk about the Anti-Christ. I donno, it just seemed like a fun Juxtaposition to Christmas. I broke out the Revelation last time, so Why not? Right? I was thinking “What better way to get people into the manger scene then by talking about a Devil Baby?” I thought how clever would it be to ask “are you celebrating Christmas or ANTI-CHRSTMAS?”
So... I have seen apocalyptic movies, Swartzenagger films, horror devil movies, none of them were going to prepare me to what I was about to read in the bible… I opened up the Book of Revelation to see what it said about the Anti-Christ and you know what it said? Wait for it… NOTHING!
Wha?!? Revelation doesn’t have Jack squat on the Anti-Christ! Imagine my disappointment… I wanted to unleash the truth to you on what sort of demonic practice some people celebrate when they put up the anti-christmas wreath… BUT NO ANTI-CHRIST in revelation! OK OK… There is a reference to a beast that comes out of the sea and a beast that comes out of the land (which people interpret to be something like a huge world leader… blah blah blah…), but in terms of the words anti-christ… NO WHERE! Of all places where the antichrist needs to be … NOT THERE. I thought I was going to read about a baby born of wealth and status from the spawn of Satan… laid in a golden bed. Yram (mary spelled backwards) is his mom and she wears red all the time (instead of blue)… ROCK AND ROLL! Yeah… not there.
OK so I’m still trying to find out what Anti-Christmas is all about. So I need to know… Is the Anti-Christ in the bible? Yes. The Anti-Christ is talked about in the most odd of places. 1st John and 2nd John. I was surprised to see this because John is such a lover, and a lover of Christ, that to have thoughts about a devil baby just seemed weird in this book. It just seemed weird that John would utter “God is Love” and thoughts on the Anti-Christ in the same book. As I was reading, I found my apocalyptic movie training slowly getting schooled. I saw Arnald Swartzenegger’s world melt, and Keanu’s wings torch before me. Because the reality of what John was saying about the Anti-Christ was something that didn’t have anything to do with Devil spawn. Here’s what he said:
In 1Jo 2:18 he writes “Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.” This standing alone gives us anticipation for something awful… However when you read the next reference, you begin to see that it isn’t Damien he’s talking about at all. 1Jo 2:22 - “Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist--he denies the Father and the Son.” So the antichrist is someone that simply denies Jesus is the Christ. That’s it. The antichrist simply is the one who denys Jesus was from God. The fourth chapter confirms this: 1Jo 4:3 – “but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.“ Let’s add to this the only other reference to the antichrist in 2Jo 1:7 – “Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.” This states that there are two other traits to the antichrist. They not only deny that Jesus was from God, but that he actually was a man; and to top it all off, they attempt to deceive others into believing the same thing.
At the time this was actually very relevant. (not that it isn’t now) because there was a group of people in John’s time that were talking about Jesus, but they were painting a picture that was not the real story. They were called the Gnostics. You can read their literature today. But they had two major things that chapped John’s britches:
The Gnostics were saying that Jesus wasn’t human. The natural world was made of elements that were too “beggarly” to house the creator. There is far too much sex and childbirth and other unclean things that don’t have anything to do with the salvation of man. As a result Jesus could not have assumed a material body… because it would be “Stuffed with excrement.” And that’s just wrong!
Others around John were saying that Jesus was simply a great man with God in him. They asked people to abandon their search for God and look for him by taking yourself as a starting point. They encouraged their followers to learn who it is who within you makes everything his own and says, ‘my God, my mind, my thought, my soul, my body.’ They taught the sources of sorrow, joy, love, hate, were all to be investigated, and when that was done, you would find God in yourself. They simply thought that Jesus did this very well and that’s why he achieved greatness.
These thoughts were worth addressing to John, because John experienced the REAL Jesus. The real WORD that became FLESH. And John needed to tell us that they are believing in something other than Christ. Against who Christ really is. Not a scary demon boy. But a very terrible notion to John that someone would think that a Creator didn’t care enough to really become human. Or that Jesus is just a really spiritual dude like Billy Graham. John said these people are believing something other than Christ. Other than the truth. And trying to deceive people into thinking these ways.
So who is the antichrist according to John? They are the one who denies the Father and the Son. The antichrist is the one who denies Jesus was a man. The one who tries to deceive you into thinking that he was only God or only man or neither. John isn’t prophesying doom. He’s developing discernment. A concept that we can possibly apply to our lives today: as we let the Christ family as they glow silently on our lawn. We don’t want to think that that night had the screaming of labor associated with it. OR even in the other extreme where there was a poor kid named jesus that was born with no god associated with him at all. John said “the Word became Flesh.”
I’m going to do it--- In Light of what John is saying about the things we look at instead of Christ Today I want to pose the question:
What are you celebrating instead of Christmas this year? It’s not Kwanza. Are you beholding the antichrist in the manger this year? Is your Christmas void of any humanity? Are you celebrating a holiday where you must find the perfect presents, racking up the perfect debt? Attending and being invited to the perfect parties? Even trying to make the season perfectly reflect the vision of Emmanuel- God with us? If your expectations are in the heavens, prepare to come down on the 26th with resentment towards the holiday and maybe even your faith.
Or what about the other side? Instead of Christmas this year are you in pain? Unable to move out of depression. Angry at others circumstances, and the twinkle in their eye, be aware that we live in conflict with our world. Be aware that God Saves. That God is intimately there with you in your pain. And wants you to be the success story.
Lights please:
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
“And that’s what Christmas is all about Charlie Brown.” – He’s right… a baby was born, a very human baby full of tears and pain, and in conflict with our world because he was also a very divine child born outside of nature. Outside of what we can understand; both together in one baby.
John asks “how do you know you are a Christian?” His answer is: “you know you’re a Christian when you follow God’s commandments.” Not the ten commandments (those are societal… don’t murder… that a given societal rule.) but you are called to something far greater – called to affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity, willingness to stick with things until they are accomplished… etc. John says you wear these things like a badge. You don’t need to talk about it, because you are it, you believe it.
2000 years ago there was a child born, some thought he would grow up to be a great man, some thought he was God, John is convinced that he is both. And that to understand that, means that I must be impacted by that love. He says that if I believe, I will wear my care of others on me like a badge. John is saying if you GET IT, you will start to live in conflict with your peanuts world. You will have a saving God in your painful set of circumstances. Like the bible characters, and like Jesus, the conflict is to truly care. Matthew says that Jesus came to die for our sins; such a conflict that the world is still trying to wrap its mind around. God died because he cared for you; died because he was in conflict with this world and wanted you to know what love is. To die for your friends.
Today… let your conflicts with the holiday season reflect your care for others. Understand the balance between your pristine expectations and dreams, and the difficulty of a cruel peanuts world. Take a moment to contemplate the miracle of Jesus being born into this world because God loves you. And … Have a Very Merry Christmas.
