Light Please

I love this time of year. All the Christmas songs, themes, symbols, and shows. Oh, the shows. I grew up watching them all: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (cartoon version); Rudolph; Frosty; and Charlie Brown. I got to where I had some parts memorized. Who can forget, "It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes, or bags!" Or when the elf and Rudolph are going to off and be "Independent, together." (Go figure that one out).

But the classic scene I remember the most is the one where Linus, in answering Charlie Brown's question "Does anyone know what Christmas is about?" He simply steps forward and says, "Lights please" and begins the Luke narrative about the birth of Jesus. That was how I memorized scripture early on.

That simple story, that perfect narrative, enlightens us all, as to what Christmas is about. And while it may have been set on a school stage, the Christmas story sets the stage for the True Light, who came to redeem us all. So instead of saying "lights please," I think what we need this year, more than any other, is to say, "Light. Please."