Brief synopsis of the readings: As we move from Advent to Christmas we continue to read Isaiah. This reading speaks with joy about a people who have walked in darkness but now have seen a great light. God has brought them abundant joy for their burden is over. “For a child is born to us, a son is given us.” This child will be will be called “Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.” Luke’s Gospel recounts the birth of Jesus. Joseph and Mary travelled from Nazareth to Bethlehem in accordance of a census. Unable to find lodging, they huddled in a barn where Mary gave birth. Nearby shepherds were visited by an angel who proclaimed that a savior had been born.

On December 9, 1965 the celebration of Christmas changed many of us forever. Virtually regardless of age we had been told (yearly) about the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem and how this changed the course of history. As children we all nodded and smiled and wondered what Santa would bring us. And we were accused of not fully appreciating what was done for us on that night when Joseph and Mary welcomed a child into the world.

But on that night in 1965 a beloved comic strip came to life. You’ve probably already guessed this, but the comic strip was Peanuts and the night of December 9th we all gathered around our black and white television set to view “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”

We Christians are funny people, and our commemoration of Christmas points to this reality like no other. Let’s begin with why we celebrate on December 25th. We’re pretty certain Jesus wasn’t born on December 25th but the first Roman Emperor (Constantine) proclaimed in the year 336 that all Christians will celebrate Christmas on that day. By the Middle Ages most of Europe recognized the need to gather with loved ones to celebrate Christ Mass.

And since all these events happened north of the equator, it’s not a stretch to recognize the need to celebrate in the middle of winter. This time of year recognizes that light is short and dark is long. Our distance from the equator determines the severity; my three years in Boston convinced me that the relationship between darkness and depression is real.

A Charlie Brown Christmas begins with a question many of us ask: What is the true meaning of Christmas? I’ve spoken about this before but many of us dread Christmas because we look toward pressure to get “the perfect gift” to people we love.

But I want to look at Charlie Brown and his friend Linus in a new light. You see, Linus is the true hero of this story. Charlie Brown seeks the meaning of Christmas. His little sister Sally, his dog Snoopy, and Lucy insist it’s about getting presents (or real estate for Lucy). Because of Lucy’s invitation Charlie Brown finds himself the director of the Christmas play. When this doesn’t go well Linus and Charlie Brown are tasked to find the perfect Christmas tree for the Christmas show. Charlie Brown walks passed artificial trees and finds a tree that everyone else ignored. He convinces Linus to choose this tree.

And they do, but when they return, Charlie Brown is ridiculed for choosing a “loser tree.” Nearly everyone laughs him off, and Charlie Brown (in his pain) asks this: “Does anyone know what Christmas is all about?”

I love Linus for many reasons, but I love him most for his next scene. He walked on stage, asked: “Lights please” and read today’s Gospel. You can find it on You Tube.

I’ve always been aware of the play between light and darkness. As the spotlight shone on Linus the rest of theater grew darker. There wasn’t much light in the theater but there was enough.

And in the interplay between light and darkness I’ve always been fascinated by the power of light. I showed my age by talking about the premier of A Charlie Brown Christmas and Im going to show it again. In the days before digital cameras we used something called “film” in our cameras. We inserted this film in our cameras, took pictures, and then took the film to the local drug store. This film could only be developed in something called a “darkroom.” These darkrooms worked only if there was absolutely no light. “Kind of” dark would ruin the film. “Mostly dark” would ruin the film. Only “completely dark” would work. We could only appreciate the light of our pictures if they endured complete darkness during their development.

The power of light has never been a true power struggle. Light doesn’t need 51% to win. It only needs 1%. And we use the image of light vs. darkness to explain the power of good vs. evil.

All of us, all of us, root for, cheer for, and hope for the power of good over evil. We may disagree over what is good and what is evil, but we all want the good.

And let’s face it: we fear that evil will win over good. But I don’t believe it and I hope to persuade you to do too. Because a little darkness never defeats light. An eight bulb chandelier still lights a room if one bulb burns out. But it doesn’t work in the reverse: One working bulb will still light the room, albeit not as well.

One light conquers a world full of darkness. And I write this against a backdrop of incredible darkness. We need not read much these days to recognize words that mark darkness: Aleppo, climate change, cyber warfare, and countless others.

But Christmas tells us that we who love the light need not fear darkness. Our world tells us to be afraid, while a scary percentage of our fellow humans profit from telling us that we should be afraid of people we don’t know.

But our faith tells us that we need not be afraid. Our faith tells us that the birth of Jesus gives us eternity, and an eternity that excludes pain, or fear, or death. And this eternity allows us to live the light every day. It allows us to be the light to ourselves and each other. Small acts of kindness do not lead us to foolishness, but closer to the kingdom that this new birth will proclaim.

Props to my friend Linus, Christmas tells us this: “Fear not! For, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all my 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.”

Linus reminds us that Luke proclaimed a light that can shatter all of our darkness.