Hark how the bells, sweet silver bells,
All seem to say, “Throw cares away;”
Christmas is here, bringing good cheer,
To young and old, meek and the bold;
Ding-dong, ding-dong, that is their song,
One seems to hear, words of good cheer;
From ev’rywhere, filling the air,
Ding, dong, ding, ding, dong!
You’ve likely heard these lyrics before. They form the first verse of the classic Christmas song Carol of the Bells. I love this song, but find it somewhat paradoxical. The flow of the music and the feelings it stirs up stands in contrast with what the lyrics encourage. The lyrics tell us that the ringing of the bells calls us to “throw cares away,” but the tenor and drive of the music is intense, creating a sense of anxious anticipation. The song announces a positive outcome that doesn’t necessarily come about until after the song is over. Perhaps that was the intent of the author as he composed the song. Perhaps rather than serving as a declaration of how things are, the song is an attempt to drive us forward towards a time and a place where the desired outcome is revealed. Rather than declaring the arrival of the ideal, the song compels us to pursue it.
Rather than serving to throw our own cares away, the ringing of these bells calls our attention to the cares of the meek among us.
The ringing of bells is a common feature of the Christmas season. Their song fills the air at the entrances of various retailers across the country. Good-hearted men, women, and children don those stylish red smocks and stand ‘round red kettles ringing their bells. Rather than serving to throw our own cares away, the ringing of these bells calls our attention to the cares of the meek among us. As we celebrate with the purchase of numerous gifts and numerous parties and feasts, they remind us that there are many among us who are in need of a hand up… Those hoping and praying for the means to keep the water flowing and the lights on. Those who are forced to make the difficult decision between putting fuel in their car or food in their mouths. Those who are struggling to find and maintain a safe and warm place to sleep at night.
Hope, joy, peace, and love are not intended to be seasonal.
I’m grateful for the bell ringers who give their time and energy during this very busy time of year. The work they do, as simple as it may be, raises money to care for those who experience need in our community. I’m also grateful for the many people and organizations that make special efforts at Christmas time to serve through food drives, to deliver hot meals, or even to throw a few dollars in the kettle as they pass. But, the cares that we attempt to alleviate during the Christmas season will resurface in the weeks and months to come. They will most certainly carry into the new year. We must take care that when the ringing and singing of the bells stops, our attempts to extend kindness and compassionate care do not.
The truth is cares aren’t something we can throw away. I don’t know that cares can completely be eliminated this side of eternity. But we can limit their effect on the lived experience of our neighbors in need through continued acts of Christ-like love and service. Hope, joy, peace, and love are not intended to be seasonal. They are to be defining features of the coming of the Savior we celebrate at Christmas, Jesus Christ, and the outworking of those who wear His name. Part of the intent of the Christmas season is to provide us with a moment of peace in the chaos of this world, but it is also mean to create a sense of anxious anticipation of what God desires to do through us long after the season ends. The bells will stop ringing, but tis always the season for compassion, caring, serving and sharing.
