[Columnist Note: Spoiler alert — I talk about the plot of the new Christmas special, “Snoopy Presents: For Auld Lang Syne.”]

We love watching Christmas shows and movies in our home. Naturally, we were excited to learn about the new Christmas special: “Snoopy Presents: For Auld Lang Syne.” The other night, my 9-year-old and I sat down to watch the original Peanuts Christmas special, followed by the new one.

While it is a Christmas special, the focus shifts to New Year’s after their grandmother cancels her trip to see Lucy and Linus for Christmas. Bummed out and feeling unloved because of this news, Lucy creates a New Year’s Eve party to celebrate with friends. It turns out to be the distraction she needs in the absence of her grandmother. 

Earlier in the episode and in typical fashion, Charlie Brown is worried. Doing what he often does when worried, he visits Lucy at her advice booth. Turns out, he’s running out of time to accomplish any of his New Year’s resolutions. In stark irony given her own sense of feeling unloved, Lucy helps him see that his list could be much less ambitious and more reasonable. 

Like so many of us as we approach a new year, Charlie Brown wants to know what he should do. Lucy is contemplating this question too when she dreams up her New Year’s Eve party. This same question shows up for Christians as we prepare for Christmas.

Christians are currently in the season of Advent when we wait and prepare for the coming of Christ. One of the prominent figures in Advent scripture texts is John the Baptist who is often mistaken for the messiah. Instead, John was sent to prepare the way and the crowds for Jesus and his ministry. 

In the third chapter of the gospel of Luke, crowds were coming to be baptized by John. But he rebuked them and told them they should bear fruit worthy of repentance. To get clarity on this, they asked him, “What should we do?” The crowds, tax collectors, soldiers – all asked him this question, and he told them, respectively:

Share your clothing and food; collect no more than you are authorized; and don’t cheat or harass anyone (author’s paraphrase).

Tis the season for switching over the calendar to a new year. Many of us will make resolutions for 2022. At the very least, most of us will spend a moment thinking back to all that was done and left undone in 2021 – and to the promise that 2022 holds. The question before us is: What should we do?

Lucy’s obsession with being loved at her party gets in the way with too many rules and guidelines for her guests, and it all falls apart. When Charlie Brown finds out this was all about her feeling unloved, he organizes a post-midnight celebration with her friends who had abandoned the party. She’s overwhelmed by his generosity but mostly by his friendship. 

Linus reveals Lucy’s feelings to Charlie Brown in a touching scene where he unpacks the old New Year’s hymn, “For Auld Lang Syne.” He tells Charlie Brown the song has deep meaning, “Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind.” As one year turns into the next, he says, “Auld Lang Syne” is our reminder that we should never forget our friends. Hopefully they will remember us too.

Linus inspires once again in a Christmas episode, and Charlie Brown responds to the question “What should we do?” by gathering them all together and reminding Lucy that she is enough just as she is. She is loved. 

After a rousing rendition of “Auld Lang Syne,” the episode ends with Lucy shoving a piece of paper and pencil in front of Charlie Brown. “Here, write this down – ‘Be a good friend’.” Charlie Brown writes it down and Lucy demands he then cross it off. So, he does. 

“You may not have completed any resolutions last year,” she says, “but you’re already covered for this year.”

What should we do?

Share your clothing and food. Collect no more than you are authorized. Don’t cheat or harass anyone. 

Friends, you are enough, and you are loved. Now, spread that message.

Cheers to 2022!   

Rev. Lyn Pace is a United Methodist minister and college chaplain who lives in Oxford.