The Secret Symbol in A Charlie Brown Christmas

Have you noticed the secret symbol in A Charlie Brown Christmas, the beloved Christmas classic charming audiences for 60 years?

Half the nation tuned in to CBS when the program first aired on Dec. 9, 1965. The Emmy award-winning program featured Peanuts characters Americans had come to love in their daily newspapers.

Charlie Brown’s struggle with the commercialism of Christmas resonates just as much today as it did half a century ago.

With messages both explicit and subtle, Linus reminds him what Christmas is all about.

Linus quotes the Gospel of Luke to explain the message of Christmas. When he spreads his little arms wide, like Christ, he appears to have stigmata on his hands when he says the word, “savior.”

The marks are gone, moments later, when he continues speaking and again holds up his hands.

Linus was actually a contemporary of Paul and active in the early church.

The soundtrack includes the hymn, Hark the Herald Angels Sing:

Hark the herald angels sing
“Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled”
Joyful, all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With the angelic host proclaim:
“Christ is born in Bethlehem”
Hark! The herald angels sing
“Glory to the newborn King!”

A Charlie Brown Christmas is simple and complex and subtle and obvious. Just as our faith ought to be.

Like A Charlie Brown Christmas, after decades, our faith should remain both familiar and as fresh as it was in the beginning. We must grow and learn as we explore our faith.

We must strive to see new things with old eyes. We should work to be better, and not remain who we have been. This is the promise of God. A promise that exists for all time, in full view.

The Savior is right there, in front of us the whole time, and we don’t even see it.

This is so simple, even a child can understand.

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