The courage of Linus

My daughter, Laurian,  has a security blanket that's really soft and cuddly.  It gives her comfort not only in the way it feels, but in the way it makes her feel.  It makes her feel safe for many reasons, but the biggest reason is one that she can't explain.  It was given to her even before she was born, so it's always been with her.  She was swaddled in it since day one.  Its mere presence is what gives her comfort.

It's no surprise that most people have heard the Christmas story recited by Linus in Charlie Brown's Christmas by Charles Schultz.  Linus is unassuming.  We take him as a little bit of a weakling, and that makes us feel good about ourselves.  He sucks his thumb and carries a security blanket!  We probably all relate to Linus, though.  Like Laurian and Linus, we may not suck our thumb or carry a security blanket in the form of clothe, but oh, more often than not, we carry a security blanket.  It may be in the form of a liquid, a pill, a person, a thing, a position, or a number.  I find it ironic, though, that my most secure state of being never has anything to do with something I can see, touch, smell, or taste.  Linus's monologue gives us a rare scene where Linus lets go of his blanket.  What gives him courage to let go?  It is in the telling, no...the believing in the story of the birth of Jesus.  Its longevity and constancy is why we, like our little cartoon friend, can find courage to let go of false securities and feel the swaddling of a Love that has no measure.  In the birth of that Son is where we find peace, love, comfort, acceptance, and hope in the One who has always been present among us.