According to Lifeway Research, over 90 percent of Americans celebrate Christmas, but only 22 percent feel confident they could retell the story of the Jesus’ birth from memory. 17 percent said they couldn’t remember any of it!

It’s tempting to cry out with Charlie Brown, “Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?!?!” Maybe it’s time to whip out the Charlie Brown Christmas Special, and watch Charlie go through the motions of the holiday season without knowing why. Right when he is at his wit’s end, Linus steps into the spotlight, literally, and recites the Nativity story from Luke’s Gospel.

The more our world detaches from the Bible, the more it detaches from truth. What the world needs are more Linus-es. Only the Church has the words of life, the message that explains, not only the reason for the season, but the real story of the world, why it is the way it is, and how God took on flesh to make all things new.