Why you need a Charlie Brown Christmas Tree

“This little green one here seems to need a home,” Charlie Brown tells Linus in the beloved Peanuts Christmas movie. With the grandkids all lined up in front of the television, blankets and popcorn in hand, this next generation was set to watch this movie and forever know what the term, “A Charlie Brown Tree” means. Its part of the American Lexicon, everyone knows what a “Charlie Brown Christmas Tree” is. Lucy does not get the meaning of Christmas and earlier shouts to Charlie as he walks away with his mission in mind, “Get the biggest aluminum tree you can find Charlie Brown, maybe even painted Pink!” Charlie and Linus bring back a little green tree, a small, scraggly pine tree with sparse, brittle branches. The trunk is thin, slightly crooked, it is weak and underwhelming. The kids all laugh at Charlie, he feels defeated again, then shouts in frustration, “Doesn’t anyone know what Christmas all is about?” Then from the mouths of babes, Linus recites from the book of Luke:

“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 so afraid. And the angel said to them, Fear not” for, behold I bring you good tiding of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, 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.

Listening to Linus’s message, the kids stop, reflect, and then think, “although the tree is small, it is a reflection of the Christ child, it is humble. It symbolizes the spirit of the holiday: finding beauty in imperfection and learning to appreciate the simple things.

Linus, takes the lead again,

“I never thought it was such a bad little tree. It’s not bad at all, really maybe it just needs a little love.”

The kids encircle the small green tree, decorate it and top it with a single red Christmas ball hanging from one of the branches. Charlie Brown’s Nihilism and the gangs secularism, is met head on with Linus’s Christianity, a belief in the inherent meaning and purpose of life derived from Gods Creation, the idea that life has significant meaning and value, because it is given by a loving God and is part of a larger Divine Plan.

The movie is over, I scoop up the grandkids and know they don’t get the larger ideas, but I am sure for the rest of the journey of their lives, although they might be tempted to reach for the large pink aluminum tree, it will always be the Charlie Brown Christmas tree , that ignites their soul. When they see one, they will stop, reflect and think, although the tree is small, it is a reflection of the Christ Child, it is humble. It symbolizes the spirit of the holiday: finding beauty in imperfection, learning to appreciate the simple things. and maybe, just maybe, when they interact with God’s people think…

”“I never thought it was such a bad little tree. It’s not bad at all, really maybe it just needs a little love.”