Sometimes I feel like Charlie Brown at Christmas time. He was bewildered at the emptiness in a Christmas drowning in commercialism. But he was encouraged by a friend who reminded him of what it's all about. Linus illuminated the meaning of Christmas with a passage from scripture. Our unlikely hero, strengthened in his conviction, pressed on with his vision. With the voice of Linus echoing in his mind, he took pity on a sickly tree. He saw something in this tree others could not. He was determined to lift it up to a place of honor. His friends looked down on him for believing in this foolish plan, calling him a blockhead. In the end, they rallied around him and the tree and gave praise to God.
Men and women like Charlie Brown, who see the unseen possibilities and follow their dreams will always be seen as fools. Like the men from the east who followed the star that brought them to Bethlehem; I'm sure their friends also thought them to be fools. I was reading in the 3rd chapter of Mark this morning, where Jesus appointed the 12 apostles. A few verses later, his family said he was out of his mind. (Mark 3:21) Translation...Jesus, you're a blockhead.
So is anyone who follows the road we are on.
We tell them we hear the voice of God; a voice they've never heard.
We tell them God wants to do miracles; something they've never seen.
We tell them an angel delivered a message; they roll their eyes and laugh.
We see strength and virtue in the drunkard.
We see holiness and beauty in the prostitute.
We see wisdom and grace in the addict.
We see what they cannot see.
Fools!
What blessed fools are we who take strength in what God has declared.
This is not a celebration of foolishness. True fools bring shame to themselves. Christmas is a time of celebration for those who believe in the impossible and marvel at the miraculous. Everything about Christmas from the appearance of angels to the virgin birth speaks of the supernatural, the unlikely, and the impossible.
In the medical profession, we need to change how we see things. It's easy to hop on the bandwagon and ridicule the homeless, drunken, addicted and mentally wounded people we care for. Just do what everyone else does.
In this season, and every day of the year, like Charlie Brown, we should choose to see the miraculous. We must close our eyes to what we see in the present and believe in what God can do in the future. Like the pitiful tree, we must believe there is something honorable and virtuous God placed inside every person.
God came to a manger. He took on the form of man. He came to rescue us from our sickness, suffering and sin. He had a vision for mankind that was greater than we could have imagined. Let's partner with Him in this plan of redemption. He's in the business of taking lives that are wrecked and ruined and making them into something beautiful.
