50 Years of Charlie Brown

Charles M. Schulz started a cartoon strip about a couple of kids 57 years ago. The main characters are a boy named Charlie Brown, his dog, Snoopy and his friends Linus, Lucy, Peppermint Patty and Sally. This book was published in 2000 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Peanuts. That year also marked the year, its creator died at 77 years.

I have always enjoyed Peanuts. Charlie Brown represents for me the gentleness, trustworthiness, kindness and compassionate that everyone of us should be. Unfortunately, his trusting nature is often abuse by his friend Lucy and her football! This book is special because it was written by Schulz towards the end of his life, as he was dying from cancer of the colon. The book is in the format of a short page of comments by Schulz followed by a few of his cartoon strips elaborating what he wrote.

Schulz is a Christian and Peanuts shares the gospel message in many ways. One of the most touching comment he made was,

I have underlined words and sentences in one of the Bibles that has always been my study Bible, but when I look at those words and sentences now, I can’t remember why they were underlined…My Revised Standard version of the Bible is filled with markings, for I have gone through it word for word with study groups at least four times, and of course, I have used it on various occasions to begin speeches. I know that the underlined passages served some purpose, but here and there are verses that have no special meaning for me. It is almost as if a friend had secretly opened the book and made some markings just to tease me. What was the spirit trying to say to me then that I no longer need to hear? Or, what was I listening for then that I no longer care about?