Dr. Terry Koehn: Red Kettle Reflection

It never crossed my mind to stand by a red kettle, ringing a bell for the Salvation Army, until the Mission Committee Chair (I’ll call her Sally) at the church I was serving invited me to join her. She had some physical challenges and felt safer with another person there. 

How could I say no? 

So began an annual tradition for Sally and me during my time with that congregation.

I’ll admit, I had always thought those bell-ringers were a bit odd. Maybe because some seemed a little too happy to be there, singing and smiling. Maybe I just jumped to conclusions about who they were and why they were doing it. 

When I joined their ranks, I don’t think I lowered the oddness factor. But it did open my eyes to new ways of thinking.

At some point, I began to notice the different reactions to the bell and the red kettle. Some people avoided eye contact with me. Some paused to explain why they weren’t giving. Others, whether they put anything in or not, smiled or offered a greeting. 

But there was one moment I will never forget. A young mother walked up with her three children. From the look of their vehicle and their clothes, I assumed they were not well off. I did not expect what happened next. 

With quiet purpose, the mother greeted us, put down the toddler she was carrying, knelt, and placed a $1 bill into each child’s hand. “We’re doing this to help people who don’t have as much as we do,” she told them, and pointed to the slot in the red kettle where they needed to put the money.

Each child with great seriousness stuffed their dollar into the kettle. Then, they looked up at us for a few long seconds. I smiled down at them and said, “Thank you.” As they walked back to their car, not going in the store at all, I was struck by a sudden thought: 

“They think it’s US—Sally and me—that they’re helping!” 

And of course, they were. Because I was reminded of something very important through their eyes: from God’s angle, all of us are poor and in need. Knowing that opens us to the real grace of this holy season. 

 And I can’t help but wonder how that insight could help us throughout the year.

“Merry Christmas,” we called to each other as the family walked away. My bell rang a little louder after that. I heard the jingle of the kettle on its chain more clearly, singing a song all its own. So, jingle, bells. Jingle all the way.

Let’s be as generous as we can this season, whether it’s red kettles, the Jane Phillips Santa Shop, other community projects, special offerings, or simply small kindnesses done for others. And let’s…

 Keep dreamin’ God’s dreams!  

 Pastor Terry