“Do You Hear What I Hearâ€â€¦a virus of peace
Christmas songs are ubiquitous this time of year. I, like many, quickly get overloaded with sugary Bing Crosby goodness, and “Christmas” songs by Madonna and Britney Spears. But every year, I inevitably turn that station that plays 24/7 Christmas music, and every year, I hear a classic Christmas song “for the first time.”
This year it is “Do you Hear What I Hear?” I’ve posted a video below with the lyrics, then some of my reflections on what makes this song so powerful and how its rocked my understanding of sharing God with the world.
Said the night wind to the little lamb
Do you see what I see
Way up in the sky little lamb
Do you see what I see
A star, a star
Dancing in the night
With a tail as big as a kite
With a tail as big as a kiteSaid the little lamb to the shepard boy
Do you hear what I hear
Ringing through the sky shepard boy
Do you hear what I hear
A song, a song
High above the tree
With a voice as big as the sea
With a voice as big as the seaSaid the shepard boy to the mighty king
Do you know what I know
In your palace wall mighty king
Do you know what I know
A child, a child
Shivers in the cold
Let us bring him silver and gold
Let us bring him silver and goldSaid the king to the people everywhere
Listen to what I say
Pray for peace people everywhere
Listen to what I say
The child, the child
Sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and light
He will bring us goodness and lightThe child, the child
Sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and light
What is brilliant about this song is its got the lines of communication all confused and backward. The king should be commanding the shepherd boy, and the boy should be speaking over the lamb…this is the divine conspiracy brought on by the nature of God – that authority and power are turned upside down, and the real magnificence of God is seen in his power displayed in the most unlikely of places.
This viral message begins in the wind…a mysterious tale that no one can claim ownership of. It whispers to the innocent, powerless animal, even as the wind blows over the boy and the king and all of humanity. But they miss it. Many wonder if God still speaks today. Most people asking that question are rich, or too busy to hear. God’s most important messages come and go without us ever listening in, because they are blowing in the wind, and not coming down from a king’s throne.
The bravery of the boy to speak to the king, to call on the king to give up his “silver and gold” (the boy wouldn’t have much of that as a shepherd). Whatever this message is, wherever it has come from, it did not seek permission to be heard within the king’s walls, nor did it seek the kingly lines of communication (promenades and trumpet blasts). It snuck through the streets, past the guards, and rested on a freezing child outlaw in a city slum.
The king shows us a picture of what powerful people do when they “truly hear” – he steps aside and uses his position to proclaim the message to people everywhere. What a difficult thing to say, “He will bring us goodness and light.” Isn’t that the king’s one duty to his people? Is he in effect saying, “This child, poor and freezing, sleeping and totally unaware, is more qualified to lead you than me.” And with that he steps aside to watch the viral message of peace spread over the land, like a mighty wind. If only our President could do that. If only Prime Ministers and Kings and govenors and mayors of this state and world could do that.
This message is a secret – “Do you know what I know?” sounds almost like school yard gossip. A contagion of peace passed like a note in a classroom or a slave song in a field, pointing them to freedom. Rarely do the rich and powerful stop to hear what is being said. A quiet revolution sweeps over the earth like a breeze…do you hear what I hear?
 This year we’re thinking a bit more ahead – trying to save a little each month so its not a financial killer when it shows up. But what are we going to spend our money on this Christmas? Are there better and worse things to buy?
