The Lowliness of Human Flesh

Of all the secular world’s contributions to the celebration of Christmas, one of my favorites is A Charlie Brown Christmas, released fifty-four years ago this month. Charlie Brown—a kind of everyman—often appears to himself and others much like the sad-looking Christmas tree he procures: dull, lowly, and slightly inadequate. Yet in the end, the anger and resentment of the crowd gives way to a poignant intervention from Linus: “I never thought it was such a bad little tree. It’s not bad at all, really. Maybe it just needs a little love.”