Submission to The Savior In His Saints
Name: Kenneth Klaus
DATE SUBMITTED 8/28/2018
CATEGORIES: Christ can’t be kept out of Christmas
BIBLE PASSAGE: Colossians 2:8 (ESV) See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.
DATE SUBMITTED 8/28/2018
CATEGORIES: Christ can’t be kept out of Christmas
BIBLE PASSAGE: Colossians 2:8 (ESV) See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.
My first recollection of the Salvation Army bell-ringers was when our family braved downtown Chicago so my brother and I could see the brilliant displays of moving characters which filled the windows of the Marshall Field’s Department Store. If my memory serves me correctly the Salvation Army had a brass band playing, and in front of every door of every store there was a uniformed bell ringer smiling, and ringing and in between chimes, wishing everybody, including a wide-eyed six-year-old boy a “Merry Christmas.”
Since that year every time I see a bell ringer, I know Christmas is coming and I gladly reach into my wallet to do what I can. Since I’ve become an adult every time I see a bell-ringer, I assess how they do their work. Some stick to a single bell while others manage to manipulate two, three, and once I even saw someone with five bells. There are those who ring in slow motion, and those who ring away as if they’d had way too much caffeine.
There are bell-ringers who say, “Happy Holidays” and those who still wish me a “Blessed Christmas.”
There are those who greet shoppers in a mechanical way and those whose smile brightens up the day of everyone who passes by. One year I saw a bell-ringer who didn’t say much, he just kept up a beautiful, continuous medley of Christmas songs. I listened to him for half-an-hour and he never repeated a Carol or hymn.
Not so many years ago, I had the opportunity to visit with a master bell-ringer. Pam had gone into the grocery store to pick up what she called ‘a few items’ while I waited in the car and watched the bell-ringer do his thing. I was mesmerized by what he managed to do.
Without missing a beat on his bell, he was able to say something special to everyone. When someone looked worn down, he turned up the temperature on his smile and gave them a special, a sincerely warm holiday wish. If an elderly woman walked by, he would say something like, “Merry Christmas, young lady.” And the way he said it didn’t seem snide or sarcastic. On the contrary, every one of those “young ladies” giggled, smiled and blushed. He bent down to talk to little children, and, for some reason, not a single child cried or hid behind their moms.
Wishing that I could be as sincere, personable and polished as this bell-ringer, I got out of the car and visited with him. After exchanging a few pleasantries, I asked, “Can you tell when someone is going to put something in the kettle?” He said, “About 90% of the time. It all depends on whether they look you in the eye or not.”
Next I asked, “Aren’t you afraid of some negative fallout when you wish people a ‘Merry Christmas’?; aren’t you afraid of offending someone?” He laughed at that question. He was still laughing when he replied, “You’re asking if I should keep Christ in Christmas. Sir, (that’s what he called me, ‘Sir’) Christ is Christmas, I couldn’t take Jesus out of Christmas if I wanted.”
When I asked him to explain he said something like, “Look at the people coming into this store. I don’t know them; I don’t know anything about them; but I do know this: some of them are worried about their children and grandchildren. This last year some of them have lost their jobs; some may lose their homes. Some of them have just had an argument with their husband or wife. Some of their children got picked on at school, and some didn’t get invited to a party where everyone else was going. Some of the teen-age girls think they’re ugly, and more than a few boys feel no one is ever going to love them. The old folks are worried about their health and whether they have enough money set aside for Christmas and whether they’re going to be able to keep living at home. Some have a loved one serving overseas in the military and others are just down in the dumps.
I look at faces all day and I see people who are busy, and tired, and confused, frustrated, angry and hurting. I know some are bothered about things they’ve done and a few are sad about things they haven’t done or wished they had done. I’m just a bell ringer, but when I’m here I ask my Savior Jesus to give me the right words to say which might make a difference, just a little difference to these folks who walk on by.
Mr., you asked me about keeping Christ in Christmas? What I see standing here is a lot folks with a lot of hopes and fears. Their hopes and fears are always going to keep Jesus in Christmas.”
It was right about then that Pam came out of the store pushing a cart filled with nine bags of “just the few things” which we needed. I’m glad she came out when she did. I was glad because it was embarrassing for me to realize that a Salvation Army bell-ringer had, in a few minutes, and without any rehearsal had put the celebration of Christ and Christmas back into perspective.
The other reason I was glad Pam came out is this: I wanted to race home and make notes on what the bell-ringer had said to me. I didn’t want to forget the really important truth which he had shared. Did you hear it? He said, people’s “hopes and fears are always going to keep Jesus in Christmas.” He was right, you know. The angel knew that the night Jesus was born. The angel knew about the terrors which trouble us. That’s why he began, “Fear not, for behold I bring you good news of great joy. Unto you is born… a Savior!”
Since that year every time I see a bell ringer, I know Christmas is coming and I gladly reach into my wallet to do what I can. Since I’ve become an adult every time I see a bell-ringer, I assess how they do their work. Some stick to a single bell while others manage to manipulate two, three, and once I even saw someone with five bells. There are those who ring in slow motion, and those who ring away as if they’d had way too much caffeine.
There are bell-ringers who say, “Happy Holidays” and those who still wish me a “Blessed Christmas.”
There are those who greet shoppers in a mechanical way and those whose smile brightens up the day of everyone who passes by. One year I saw a bell-ringer who didn’t say much, he just kept up a beautiful, continuous medley of Christmas songs. I listened to him for half-an-hour and he never repeated a Carol or hymn.
Not so many years ago, I had the opportunity to visit with a master bell-ringer. Pam had gone into the grocery store to pick up what she called ‘a few items’ while I waited in the car and watched the bell-ringer do his thing. I was mesmerized by what he managed to do.
Without missing a beat on his bell, he was able to say something special to everyone. When someone looked worn down, he turned up the temperature on his smile and gave them a special, a sincerely warm holiday wish. If an elderly woman walked by, he would say something like, “Merry Christmas, young lady.” And the way he said it didn’t seem snide or sarcastic. On the contrary, every one of those “young ladies” giggled, smiled and blushed. He bent down to talk to little children, and, for some reason, not a single child cried or hid behind their moms.
Wishing that I could be as sincere, personable and polished as this bell-ringer, I got out of the car and visited with him. After exchanging a few pleasantries, I asked, “Can you tell when someone is going to put something in the kettle?” He said, “About 90% of the time. It all depends on whether they look you in the eye or not.”
Next I asked, “Aren’t you afraid of some negative fallout when you wish people a ‘Merry Christmas’?; aren’t you afraid of offending someone?” He laughed at that question. He was still laughing when he replied, “You’re asking if I should keep Christ in Christmas. Sir, (that’s what he called me, ‘Sir’) Christ is Christmas, I couldn’t take Jesus out of Christmas if I wanted.”
When I asked him to explain he said something like, “Look at the people coming into this store. I don’t know them; I don’t know anything about them; but I do know this: some of them are worried about their children and grandchildren. This last year some of them have lost their jobs; some may lose their homes. Some of them have just had an argument with their husband or wife. Some of their children got picked on at school, and some didn’t get invited to a party where everyone else was going. Some of the teen-age girls think they’re ugly, and more than a few boys feel no one is ever going to love them. The old folks are worried about their health and whether they have enough money set aside for Christmas and whether they’re going to be able to keep living at home. Some have a loved one serving overseas in the military and others are just down in the dumps.
I look at faces all day and I see people who are busy, and tired, and confused, frustrated, angry and hurting. I know some are bothered about things they’ve done and a few are sad about things they haven’t done or wished they had done. I’m just a bell ringer, but when I’m here I ask my Savior Jesus to give me the right words to say which might make a difference, just a little difference to these folks who walk on by.
Mr., you asked me about keeping Christ in Christmas? What I see standing here is a lot folks with a lot of hopes and fears. Their hopes and fears are always going to keep Jesus in Christmas.”
It was right about then that Pam came out of the store pushing a cart filled with nine bags of “just the few things” which we needed. I’m glad she came out when she did. I was glad because it was embarrassing for me to realize that a Salvation Army bell-ringer had, in a few minutes, and without any rehearsal had put the celebration of Christ and Christmas back into perspective.
The other reason I was glad Pam came out is this: I wanted to race home and make notes on what the bell-ringer had said to me. I didn’t want to forget the really important truth which he had shared. Did you hear it? He said, people’s “hopes and fears are always going to keep Jesus in Christmas.” He was right, you know. The angel knew that the night Jesus was born. The angel knew about the terrors which trouble us. That’s why he began, “Fear not, for behold I bring you good news of great joy. Unto you is born… a Savior!”