I just attended my first “Carols by Candlelight” for the season – although these days the “Candlelight” is conspicuous for its absence. Too many people, it appears, have been scalded by molten candlewax. This particular event should have been billed as “Carols by Glow-sticks”. And the kids do love them – the glow-sticks I mean, not so much the carols.

The evening once again provided an annual reinforcement of my ambivalence to Carol events.

For starters there is the attitude of so many that are present tonight. Just over to my right is a group of three ladies who keep up a constant chatter with one another throughout the evening. Not even with the most well-known carol did I notice any attempt to join in the singing. They are typical of a number of groups in the park this evening. Maybe they just come to bring the kids. Maybe to them it’s just another social event. Or maybe they just come because outdoor carols during this season are as Australian as Vegemite.

And then there’s the kids – don’t get me started! Three times a group of feral ankle-biters has pushed between the rows in front of us and not a parent in sight to tell them to settle down. Another group near the front continue to run around throwing their glow-sticks in the air – some of which inevitably end up in the laps of people seated nearby. Am I noticing a growing irreverence at carol events or am I just a grumpy old man showing my age?

In any case I struggle with what is happening. Wonderful songs about my beloved Saviour are being sung but on the part of many there is not only blatant indifference but even interference in the right of others to simply enjoy the evening.

When the all-time favourite carol, ‘Silent Night’, is sung I have another issue that I struggle with. The language of many of our traditional carols is so often not exactly “user friendly” for the average unchurched Aussie. Even many Christians at this event would probably be singing words of which they would not be able to tell you the meaning. “Gloria in excelsis Deo” sounds nice but what does it mean? An earlier generation may have been able to tell you that it means “Glory to God in the Highest”; but today’s average pew-sitter…?

In that classic old carol, “Silent Night”, the words that trigger my reflection are: “With the dawn of redeeming grace…!” How many people at your next “Carols in the Park” event would be able to explain to you what that means? One needs to understand the meaning of both the words ‘redeem’ and ‘grace’. And then one has to figure out why that “dawns” on Christmas Day.

Would I want to do away with these seasonal song-fests in parks and halls across our country? Not for a moment. We live in a culture where Christianity is being removed more and more from the public square. Already there are places where nativity scenes are no longer allowed to be set up. Carols is still one of the ways in which we are able to speak some Christian content into the lives of pagan Australians.

I guess it just mean that we need to work a little harder to create an atmosphere where people will be respectful. And we need to explain some of those words and phrases that are unknown to people today. Perhaps in introducing the next carol the MC needs to review some of the words and phrases so that people will understand what they are singing (or listening to!).

If we do that then there may be people for whom such a carols event will indeed be the dawn of redeeming grace. During this season pray that your local Carols event will be used to touch lives for God’s glory and for the eternal wellbeing of those who attend.

John Westendorp