It’s no secret that I love this time of the year, especially the music that accompanies it. For reasons known only to God, each year, a single song resonates through my heart and soul. It is never the same song two years in a row; last year, it was Little Drummer Boy. The “Pa rum pum pum pum” filled an endless loop that repeated continuously in my mind from November through mid-January.

These songs play when the radio is off; they play when I’m walking around the mall; they play when I’m trying to go to sleep. I don’t know why it is never the whole song, but only a portion of it. It might drive some of you crazy, but I don’t mind. It brings me comfort and reminds me of the “why” of Christmas. Sometimes it is an old song that strikes a new chord, or a new song that strikes an old chord, but it is always a chord that speaks to my heart.

This year, I can’t get the song Do You Hear What I Hear? out of my head and heart. Sometimes the voice changes from Bing Crosby to Johnny Cash to The Carpenters or Carrie Underwood. It doesn’t matter who sings it; the words speak to me.

Do you hear what I hear?

The sound of a hug. When Gabriel came to Mary and told her the news that she, a virgin, had been chosen to carry the Savior of the world, she was caught off-guard. As the news sank in, her next heartbeat was a heartbeat of obedience, and she hugged the will of God. “‘I am the Lord’s servant,’” Mary answered. ‘May your word to me be fulfilled’” (Luke 1:38).

Do you hear what I hear?

A whisper. There is a stirring among the heavenly host. A throne is empty; the Creator is gone. Where did He go? He has always been. Is He coming back? For a season, the heavens are not the same. It is true; what was whispered by the prophet Isaiah has now been fulfilled: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). 

Do you hear what I hear?

A heartbeat, the first faint contraction of the Savior’s heart. In the womb, ever so small, the first drop of blood that would bring salvation to the world began to flow.  The Creator who has no need of his creation is now dependent upon a tiny heart. “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matt. 26:28).

Do you hear what I hear?

Angels singing. The first singing telegram ordered by the Savior himself, singing in perfect harmony, bearing the news that had long been foretold. “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” (Luke 2:13-14).

Do you hear what I hear?

A cry. The cry bookends Jesus’ life. With the shock of his first breath, the baby Jesus cries. His lungs expand and contract, and life-sustaining oxygen fills his body. His first cry will bring physical life; His last will bring eternal life. “And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit” (Mathew. 27:51).

Do you hear what I hear?

Hope. The sweetest of all sounds. Despair is always played in the minor chords; it is the sound of hopelessness. You know what makes the difference between a major and minor chord and scale? It boils down to a difference of one essential note. Hope is mentioned over 180 times in the Scriptures, and hope is a game-changer. It changes your song from despair to joy. It changes your focus from the problem to the solution, from the immediate to the eternal. What is that one note? It is Jesus, “which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27b).

Do you hear what I hear?

Yes, I hear. I have the living hope inside me. If you are looking for hope, may I point you to the One who said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). One note, one Savior can make the difference.

Do you hear what I hear?

On behalf of the writing conglomeration of Moore, Moore and Moore Inc., we would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. And it is our prayer that your life will be full of hope.