Every Christmas season children believe that unlikely things are possible.
Some believe that an overweight man in a red suit flies through the air in a reindeer-led, toy-filled sleigh. They believe the sleigh lands on billions of roofs without dislodging a single shingle or falling into any attic. They believe the big man squeezes through small chimneys but never hurts himself, never breaks any of the toys in the bag he’s shouldering, nor ever soots his red suit.
Some children believe that 2,000 years ago, a man and woman named Joseph and Mary traveled by donkey to Bethlehem. That every inn in town rejected them, causing baby Jesus to be born among animals and laid in a feeding trough. They also believe the vulnerable baby grew up to be the savior of the world by dying on a cross for our sins.
Children need imagination to believe in Santa. They need faith to believe in Jesus. Both begin in the mind. Each Christmas season, re-entering the world of childhood imagination can be a stepping stone to the childlike faith that God rewards. Let God use the imaginations of the following three story-tellers to ignite a spark of fresh faith in you.
Thank you, Mr. Schulz
One of five “A Charlie Brown Christmas” postage stamps. (Photo by John Flannery)
The Peanuts comic strip gang romping through a prime time, Christmas-themed cartoon? A perfect idea! In December of 1965, A Charlie Brown Christmas brought America’s favorite precocious comic strip characters to life.
We heard Schroeder play his toy piano. We saw the dust follow Pigpen. We watched the gang skating and dancing and heard them rehearsing a Christmas play and singing. Charlie was doleful. Lucy remained loud and obnoxious, with an opinion for everything. Snoopy won a blue ribbon for decorating the exterior of his dog house.
Creator Charles Schulz (who drew Peanuts from 1950-2000) was not only an award-winning cartoonist. He taught Sunday school. With A Charlie Brown Christmas, he drew a line from imagination to faith. The fun story brought his comic page children to life, then had Linus reciting Luke 2:8-14 and the whole gang singing “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing.”
Thank you, Dr. Suess
“How the Grinch Stole Christmas” soundtrack (Photo by James Vaughan)
There’s also the TV cartoon How The Grinch Stole Christmas. From the top of Mt. Crumpit the mean, green Grinch, hates hearing the Whos sing their Christmas joy. With a dastardly smile, the hermit with a heart “two sizes too small” schemes to undo the Whos’ festiveness. He steals all their gifts, but he can’t steal the Christmas that’s in their hearts. Their unfettered celebration leads to the Grinch’s heart growing three sizes larger.
The animation and Boris Karloff’s narration grab and hold our attention. The Grinch’s dog, Max, and Cindy Lou Who add welcomed touches. But how does it open the door to faith?
The adaptation of the Dr. Suess book, though intended to be non-religious, carries New Testament overtones. The story reminds us that our actions proceed from our heart. Jesus said in Matthew 12:35 (NLT), “A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart”.
Why do the Whos sing at Christmas? Their joy can remind us of the atmosphere of Jesus’ arrival. The angels announced to the shepherds, “tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people” (Luke 2:10). Seeing young Jesus made the wise men rejoice “with exceeding great joy” (Matthew 2:10). As a result, the Grinch experiences a conversion–a change of heart.
Thank you, Professor Lewis
A map of Narnia (Photo by David Bedell)
A wardrobe as a portal to another land, talking animals, fauns and centaurs, kings and queens, giants, and an evil witch who can turn anything into stone. That cast fuels one’s imagination.
Unlike the two previous stories, the C. S. Lewis book The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe did not become an annual prime time, Christmastime cartoon. But it is set in winter and includes an appearance by Santa Claus. We first enter Narnia when it’s under a spell that could be any child’s nightmare: “Always winter but never Christmas.”
Yet, the impossible does happen. Miracles occur. The lion, Aslan—like baby Jesus—arrives to break the curse.
You’re Welcomed to Believe
From our minds to our hearts, imagination is the first step to faith. David envisioned killing Goliath, then met and defeated the giant on the battlefield. Peter saw himself walking on the Sea of Galilee before he trusted Jesus to call him onto the waves.
At Christmastime, the sights and sounds around us trigger our imaginations. A cartoon character reciting the Christmas story, a nativity scene in someone’s yard, a song on the radio or in a store, even a star on top of a Christmas tree, can hint at the reality of miracles that still happen. Like the angel Gabriel told Mary, “For with God, nothing will be impossible” (Luke 1:37, NKJV).
Christmastime—thanks to Mr. Schulz, Dr. Suess, professor Lewis, and others—taps our imaginations and boosts our faith. How do you need the faith of a child this season? What things that might seem unlikely do you need to believe are possible?
The Road Ahead:
- When it comes to trusting God for big things, children have an advantage. They haven’t learned to doubt. Their “childlike faith” is an innocence based on complete trust. This week, this day, soak up the sights and sounds around you; re-enter the faith world of children; regain that total trust that God rewards.
- You may feel right now like your life is winter without Christmas. There’s hope. Aslan is still on the move. Dare to imagine. Dare to believe that God can bring new life to your life. Believe with G. K. Chesterton that “The trumpet of imagination, like the trumpet of the resurrection, calls the dead out of their graves.”
Further Fuel: Matthew 22:37; Matthew 9:28; Ephesians 4:23.
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