The full moon was the brightest light in a cloudless sky. Countless stars glittered around it, gilding the winter night all the way down to the mountaintops. We could hear the swish of the sleigh’s runners through the powdery snow and the faint rhythmic jingle of bells on the horse’s collar.
We were actually “dashing through the snow in a one-horse open sleigh.” It’s one of the main reasons we chose Franconia, New Hampshire, for our winter weekend getaway. Cushioned in the back of that sleigh, snuggled under a heavy blanket against the biting cold, we just couldn’t help ourselves. We started singing:
Dashing through the snow
In a one-horse open sleigh.
O’er the fields we go
Laughing all the way!
We were living the lyrics of “Jingle Bells.” We have a lot of good memories from our years of living in New England, mostly of times spent with friends. But this memory incorporates the entire New England winter experience: freezing cold, snow, brilliant night sky, and trying to be warm. There was lots of laughter on that ride, too. How could we sing “Jingle Bells” and not end with laughter?
That’s how I’ve always felt about that song, especially at Christmastime. As soon as the Christmas season begins, my thoughts dash to “Jingle Bells.” And if ever there was a season for laughter, it’s Christmas.
There are those, however, who disagree.
No doubt, you’ve met them: They don’t dislike celebration, per se. It’s just that they don’t like having all that Fa La La La La associated with Jesus. These humbugs don’t seem to understand why in A Christmas Carol Ebenezer Scrooge had to change or what any of it has to do with the true meaning of Christmas. They are like the dwarfs in C. S. Lewis’ The Last Battle: too grumpy to see that joy is the perfect response to “the reason for the season.”
In Robert Darden’s wonderful book Jesus Laughed: The Redemptive Power of Humor, he notes: “There are people who claim that laughter, or humor of any kind, isn’t Christian.” He then leads on into an exploration of all the joy, mirth, humor, and laughter in the Bible. It’s a great read. If you know Bob, then you know just how serious he is about humor, that it is one of the keys to a joyful spiritual journey.
Not every part of the Bible is joyful, of course. But there are four in this week’s scripture selections that are: Isaiah, Psalms, Luke, and Matthew. Some people call this season Advent. It’s about anticipating the coming of Jesus. Having a “countdown” to Christmas Day provides a joyful way to do that.
If you are not engaging in the fun parts of this season, let me encourage you to jump in. It’s the perfect time to recognize the joy and happiness we should have in knowing that God chose to come into our world and reconcile with us. Now is the perfect time to celebrate with joy, humor, mirth, and yes, laughing all the way.
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Interview with Bob Darden about humor, satire, and The Wittenburg Door:
And, just for the fun of it—⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating from me!—here’s the Goodreads link to The Sacred Diary of Adrian Plass, Aged 37 3/4:
PHOTO (and a nifty exposé about the true origins of Jingle Bells!):
https://horsenetwork.com/2021/12/the-hidden-history-of-jingle-bells/
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Friday mornings during this Advent season are a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the companionship of like-minded folk at DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast. We gather at 8:00 on Zoom* and in person at Our Breakfast Place. We eat, read, discuss, and laugh. We laugh a lot. You should join us.
Snow is not in the forecast. Please sleigh responsibly.
Blessings,
Steve
*Zoom link (Zoom allows you to mute the camera and the microphone if you don’t wish to be seen or heard.)
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89947678414
READINGS FOR THE THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT (DECEMBER 14, 2025) AND THE COMING WEEK
Find them here:
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts/?y=17134&z=a&d=3
Print them here:
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/Ax_ThirdSundayofAdvent.pdf
Isaiah 35:1-10
Psalm 146:5-10
Luke 1:46b-55
James 5:7-10
Matthew 11:2-11
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