Despite knowing all the lines, however, and watching the program several times each year— even to this day with my own children— there was something I never noticed until a few years ago after it was pointed out to me.

When the character Linus is onstage to tell everyone what the true meaning of Christmas is all about, he has his trusty security blanket in his hand until the moment he shares the words, “Fear not.”

Then, without his blanket in his hand, he continues on from Luke’s Gospel:

“... for behold, I bring unto you good tidings 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.’”

The significance of the dropped blanket is as easy to miss as it is profound. Jesus frees us from our fears. He is our sense of security. He invites us to let go of whatever false sense of security we might be grasping onto, and instead wrap ourselves in his love and mercy.

As we prepare to embark on a New Year, let Linus inspire us to leave our own “blankets” behind, and step into 2023 more fully trusting in the Lord alone. In doing so, may we be inspired to help others along the way, as is so beautifully illustrated in many of the stories highlighted in this issue of FAITH Saginaw.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!