My wife, Rebecca, wrote this post for her Texas leadership newsletter. Given the holiday time of the year, I thought I would share it, as I think it’s great!
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The song playing in my head during my morning walk was “Do You Hear What I Hear?” Although Jesus isn’t mentioned, it alludes to the nativity story. I became curious about its origin, so I googled it and found an interesting story behind the story, that now invites me to hear the song as a prayer for peace.
In October of 1962, Noel Regney and Gloria Shayne Baker (partners in marriage) were asked to write a Christmas song. However, they weren’t in the Christmas spirit. The U.S. was threatening war with Russia if they did not remove the missiles from Cuba and they were scared like everyone else.
The crisis triggered the horrors of Noel’s time fighting in World War II. The day they were commissioned, he stated, “In the studio, the producer was listening to the radio to see if we had been obliterated. Enroute to my home, I saw two mothers with their babies in strollers. The little angels were looking at each other and smiling, reminding me of lambs. Suddenly, my mood was extraordinary. Poetry flowed and we wrote the song, Do You Hear What I Hear?
Gabrielle Ragney, their daughter, said the song’s intent was a political plea for peace. Adding the Christmas story presented an alternative vision the world needed to hear.
She shared their comparison:
- “The night wind speaking to the lamb (a literary symbol of peace)” Do you see what I see? Our leaders are taking us away from peace to the brink of destruction.
- “A star, a star, dancing in the sky, with a tail as big as a kite” – Which do you see? The tail of a bomb or the star that led to the peace of the Christ child.
- “Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king, in a warm palace…A child, shivers in the cold.” He is asking the political leaders, in their warm palaces, do you know what I know? The “real children”, who inspired the song will die in the cold of war OR, the alternative voice high up in the tree reminds us that real power comes from the humble Christ Child in the cold, who understands and gives us what we need.
- “Let us bring him silver and gold” invites the leaders to consider, will riches harm children due to the cost of war or help the poor children. Do you know what I know?
- Finally, listen to what I say! Pray for peace, people everywhere. They couldn’t sing the song without tears. The threat of war was very real to them.
Now in our time, we also need to ask our leaders to listen! Do you hear what I hear?
- Do you hear guns of war and guns that shoot our children?
- Do you hear the winds and rains made worse by climate change?
- Do you see people being excluded and without basic needs?
Listen to what I say! “A child, a child sleeping in the night will bring us goodness and light. Pray for peace, people everywhere!”
The BroadBrush Update 