It’s Beginning to Sound a Lot Like Christmas

Merry Christmas! (In a few weeks.) My name is Caleb Clark, and I am a high school junior and a music-lover. I played violin in elementary school, and I switched to trombone in the sixth grade. I have a wide range of musicians that I like, ranging from Mumford and Sons to Billy Idol, Falco to the Four Seasons, Danny Elfman, to the Beatles. I especially enjoy classical music, specifically Eastern European.

One man not from Eastern Europe is Arcangelo Corelli, an Italian 17th-century violinist and composer. One of his works is called “Concerto Grosso No. 8 in G Minor, Op. 6,” or “Christmas Concerto.” I would like to say that through my extensive knowledge of the arts and judicious tastes I found this piece, but what really happened is that it was included in a 50-track album on iTunes for $4. Anyway, this song is a delightful tune in the key of G minor and appropriately… mischievous. As with all music, taste is everything. I personally enjoy it because I like artistically dark pieces and the cold. A person who likes sunshine and the Beach Boys may not like it as much as I do.

This song is more of a winter song than a Christmas carol, but it still has a good application for the Christmas season. It is a ravishingly beautiful work of art despite its sinister key. Perhaps it is the delicate sound of violins or the light tempo that make this tune sound jaunty rather than joyless. Christmas takes a similar role in the year. Winter: the bleakest and coldest of the four seasons. The trees and the grass shrivel, and the cute woodland creatures all hide for two- to- five months. All that we can do is hunker down with a pile of blankets and binge-watch Hitchcock films. Christmas is a beacon of hope and cheer. Rather than fighting over who gets the last marshmallow in their hot chocolate, we are to love each other and give gifts. Christmas is bright, warm, cheery, and loving.

Before I continue, I shall be honest and say that I need to do this next part as much as we all do. As Christians, we, too, should be a light to lead others to Christ. This is a chilly world, and it is as biting as the wind. Jesus came to us to save us from our sin and to bring us to the better world that is to come. We can use this season to show those around us what Jesus offers.

Let the world hear God’s Word this Christmas. 

Caleb Clark is a junior at Whitesburg Christian Academy. He and his family have been attending Cove Church since 2004. Caleb is active in student ministry, and he has also served as a volunteer in the preschool program for the last five years.