This is the season when songs are literally in the air. You hear
Christmas carols on the radio, in elevators, at church, on street
corners, via the web, and in TV commercials. No matter where you turn,
you simply cannont avoid the music of the season. Yet for many,
Christmas music is just background noise. They are aware a song is
playing but never listen to the words.
The message embraced by a majority of holiday lyrics, both sacred and
secular, is upbeat and optimistic. As we listen, these songs lift us up
and make us feel good. How can one hear “Jingle Bells” or “The Chipmunk
Song” and not smile? Consider the hope and warmth found in such secular
songs as “Silver Bells” and “The Christmas Song”. Even beyond the
traditional Christian carols, the spirit of the season is alive in
music. Listening to that message, we find our spirits buoyed during even
the worst of times. In fact, the meaning found in two popular Yuletide
offerings, “If Every Day Was Like Christmas” and “We Need a Little
Christmas,” fully echoes the joy and hope found in this special season.
But if you don’t listen to the lyrics, you might just miss that point
altogether. So don’t dismiss “White Christmas” or “Let It Snow” as
elevator music. Instead revel in their simple but compelling messages.
Probably no sermon has ever touched souls in as passionate a way as
have “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” “Silent Night,” and “Joy to the
World.” This is how most c hildren first learn of Jesus’ birth. Music an
build children’s deepest impressions and clearest visions of a
spiritual Christmas if we make sure they understand the lyrics. Music
opens the door to the heart. But to really have their full power, the
songs must be more than background music. Those songs are heard more
today than they ever have been, so put the spotlight on them.
What’s more, because carols and Christmas standards are revived and
embraced annually, they are literally time machines. Our personal
favorites take us back to a point where we can revisit a special memory.
When we hear just a few familiar strains, suddenly we are back there,
surrounded by the warmth of that almost forgotten special moment. Music
brings memory to the present.
This magical musical element of Christmas is not new. It didn’t begin
with the invention of the iPod, the record player, or even the radio.
Music has been a part of Christmas celebration from the very beginning.
In Luke 2:13-14, the shepherds heard the very first holiday carl:
“Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel,
praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on
earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.’”
Imagine how this choir of angels must have touched those humble men.
The men were so moved, they left their jobs with great haste and rushed
to a manger. And after seeing the babe, what did they do? They returned
to their fields and sang of the wonders they had seen. I’m sure this
event was a central focus for the rest of their lives. The tune and
lyrics they heard that night were never forgotten. But that was just the
beginning of the story of how music became an important part of the
holiday.
As you consider all the carols you hear, which one is linked to your
best memory of Christmas? What is the one musical moment in time when
the spirit of the season first rang in your heart? Think about that
magical moment. Then find a copy of that song and listen to it again.
Sing along. Pledge to start every day thinking of or listening to that
song and remembering the special moment it preserved from your Christmas
past. Do this one thing, and this Christmas will be as joyful as the
one you experienced so long ago. Don’t think of Christmas carols as
background noise. Listen to the words, embrace the message and feel the
wonder of the season.
A Shortcut to the Spirit of the Season
Dig out your Christmas recordings. Listen to the music.
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