Words of Wisdom

I think we can all agree that recycling is a good thing. With that in mind, many of us make a strong effort to do so with aluminum cans and paper and plastics. What better way is there for this blog to show its support of recycling than by reusing older blog entries from the past 3 years that some of you might have missed the first time around? Without further ado, welcome to our semi-regular feature: Throwback Thursday.

Originally Posted 10/29/07

Lessons from Linus

I just finished watching that Halloween classic, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, with my girls and, as always seems to happen, I was struck by the sparkling dialogue between the featured children that goes far beyond conversations normally found in works of animation. Most notably, I find myself drawn to the unbridled optimism of Linus, who, with his tattered blanket and impressive vocabulary, carries you along on his mission of faith and hope in the face of opposition and scorn. I think we can learn quite a bit from this figure whose genesis came at the tip of a pen.

I love the first scene of the show, where Linus and his sneering sister Lucy roll a pumpkin into the house, where Lucy summarily grasps a knife, slices away the top of the large gourd, and scoops out its innards, dumping them upon the floor with a plop. Linus, though, in his innocence and respect for life wails out, “You didn’t tell me you were going to kill it!” His high estimation of the worth of life, even that of a pumpkin, is a commendable trait, especially in our current culture that tends to revolve around our own pleasures, regardless of the cost to others. It’s a message that should resonate with us as we blindly support the mass killings of other human beings that we will never have to see in an attempt to improve our quality of life or as we buy products produced in sweatshops by what amounts to little more than child slaves.

At a later point in the show, due to the condescending looks and exasperation of those around him, Linus comes to another sad but true realization, “There are three things I have learned never to discuss with people: religion, politics, and the Great Pumpkin.” Once again, the musings of this boy ring true for us in our world today where the quality of discourse on these most important topics has devolved into slanderous screaming matches. In America today, the Christian world has been beguiled by the false “health and wealth” gospels espoused by charlatans like Joel Osteen. In many circles, the ideas of peace and servitude have been replaced by anger and an abhorrence of those who see things differently. Many tend to still hold to the wayward belief that this world can only be divided up into black or white, right or wrong, alienating those who realize that everything cannot be divided into two boxes, and, with their overly aggressive claims of absolute truth, they further debase the God who they claim to serve. The devaluation of honest discussions is perhaps no more prevalent than in the political world, where contumelious talk show hosts spew forth a malicious malignancy upon the public who, like those cheering on the savage lions in the Roman colliseum, desire nothing more than to see blood spilt upon the ground.

Another admirable trait about our young protagonist is his willingness to admit error. At one point during the show, he takes a flying leap into a newly raked pile of leaves while holding a lollipop, leading him to bestow upon us yet another masterful quote, “Never jump into a pile of leaves with a wet sucker.” Though many times we may come across a thing, an item or activity that we believe may endow us with great pleasure, it is not always wise for us to indulge in it. Whether it is food or drugs or sex or an assemblage of fallen foliage, there are always consequences for our actions.

While I could continue to extol the great virtues of Linus, perhaps his greatest character trait is that of faith. In the face of opposition, as friends and family mock him with adjectives like “stupid” and “strange” and “blockhead,” Linus keeps on believing. Even though the object of his fealty is something silly (the Great Pumpkin) the idea remains the same. Strength of character is not found in fulfilling our selfish desires, regardless of the cost. It is not found in shouting down and belittling opponents in attempt to prove ourselves right. It is not found in riches and fame and glory. Rather, the strength of our character, our conviction, is found in how we handle ourselves when our strongly held beliefs are contrary to those around us. Even when others turn away, we grasp the faith tightly, and love them despite their animosity toward us.