Hallmark Ornaments: By Symbol
-Soldiers, Nutcrackers and Bands-

What do soldiers, nutcrackers and marching band members have in common?  Discipline, of course.  What do you think of when you hear the word "Discipline?"  Perhaps it evokes images of old fashioned child management at school, with the strap and dunce cap.  Many of us can remember when "discipline" meant some kind of physical or verbal interaction, and was usually negative discipline. 

Maybe the word "discipline" means lots of rules and regulations to you, about how "X" is allowed but "Y" is not, and the ensuing consequences of the punishment you will receive if you are not disciplined enough to follow the rules.

But the word "discipline" actually comes for the Latin word disciplīna, meaning "instruction, to train."  It is from the word "discipline" that we get the idea of "disciple." In its natural sense, discipline is systematic instruction intended to train a person in a craft, trade or other activity, or to follow a particular code of conduct or "order." A good understanding of discipline reveals that it is a systematic, or repeated and progressive, way of formation with the end result of transformation of the person.  And most importantly, the real fruit of discipline is the training of the interior of a person, in the mind, thoughts and disposition.  We see the external fruits of discipline only when training has already taken place internally. 

In the Christian life, we can name the fruits of discipline, or the fruits of discipleship - we call them the fruits of the Holy Spirit.  They are charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control and chastity.  Certainly we see Jesus himself as the greatest model of each of these fruits.  The symbols of soldiers, nutcrackers and even band members are also all good examples of active discipline, or disciples in training. Read on for a more detailed explanation.

Band Members

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Tippity-Tap Toy Soldier
2015, Collector's Gift
artist: Anita Marra Rogers

This cute ornament emphasizes one thing: the message is more important than than the messenger!  Just look at the proportions here - the toy soldier is simply dwarfed by the big, booming drum, which is itself only a huge banner for the snowflake on it.  People in band tell me that that the drums, ie, the rhythm section, are actually the most important part of the whole band because they drive the whole thing - people and music.  If the beat of the drums is off, the other instruments will also quickly lose their timing and the whole thing will descend into a messy chaos.  That's certainly a Life Truth. When we lose step to the beat of the drum, we get seriously off kilter. As disciples of Christ, following Jesus means marching to the rhythm of the Beatitudes, and that is difficult.  Just like a band, it requires practice and a community of people walking with us to stay on course. As Pope Benedict said "Being a Christian is not the result of an ethic choice or a lofty idea, but an encounter with a person who gives life a new horizon and a definitive direction," so that Christ may walk with each person down the path of life. Walking with Christ, even with a smile, while helping keep others on track is just what this little fellow is happy to do.
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Sound the Trumpet!
2014, Limited Edition
artist: Anita Marra Rogers

If you have ever known anyone who was in marching band, then you've already seen discipline in action.  Many is the school night or hot summer day that the marching band is out practicing.  And for obvious reasons.  Not only do they have to play music together, but they have to coordinate their steps as well, sometimes into intricate patterns of choreography.  What a wonderful metaphor for the Christian life - working together in mind and action to produce an overall effect of inspiring sound and sight at the same time.  
This Limited Edition ornament takes the band metaphor a step further. To paraphrase Pope St. John Paul II, the church exists to be missionary.  What an absurdity it would be, for example, if no one ever heard the music practiced by the marching band!  All that hard work for nothing.  Of course the music is meant to be heard!  The band members practice not just so they can have the satisfaction of hearing a piece played well, while stepping in unison.  All their work means nothing until it is given away - until the audience it is meant for hears it, whether that is the audience in the stands or in a competition or a parade.  So why would the Christian life be any different?  We don't practice discipline just for our own sake.  As Fr. Robert Barron writes, "the fruit of prayer is action for the kingdom." The fruit of discipline is the disposition to proclaim in BOTH words (or music) and action. Hence the effort of our little fellow on the trumpet, announcing the "world filled with cheer!"

Soldiers
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Smiling Small Soldier
2010

But lest we forget, we also benefit from the fruits of discipline.  As this small soldier shows, we gain peace, patience and even joy from a life of discipleship.  Scripture tells us that God loves a cheerful giver.  This does not, however, mean that God is happy when we give our stuff away, if we are only follow some rule of sharing, like checking of a box.  Instead, if we are happy when we share then we are already participating in the life of God, who shares all with us.  This is the meaning of the older brother in the story of the Prodigal Son.  Although the older son had given his life to the service of his father, and to doing what is expected of him - of following the rules of his time - he is not happy, especially when confronted by someone who has in no way submitted to a life of discipline.  The outward giving and serving of the older brother's life had not transformed him interiorly. So this ornament reminds us that the life of discipleship is one in which the disciple also receives joy.  As St. Francis says, "it is in giving that we receive, and in dying that we are born to eternal life." Come to think of it, is this ornament really a soldier?  He could also pass as a doorman at a fancy apartment building. And that is certainly another example of a "small"* life, lived at the service of others. Where do you find joy?  And where do you need to find it?

*click "small" to see what I mean by a "small" life
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Sweet Little Soldier
2008
artist: Sue Tague

This ornament shows another side of the disciplined life - the need to practice.  As the saying goes, we are practicing Catholics, not completed Catholics.  And the more we practice, the better we get. The more we are able to perform well in the test or trial or challenge or whatever. This sweet little soldier plays his drum in time to several Christmas songs, a feat that in life would take a long time and a lot of practice to achieve. 

This particular ornament calls to mind the need to practice in its nod to the British Royal Guards, an iconic symbol of loyalty and steadfastness (see photo to the right) No matter the weather, these guards are outside serving and watching, day after day. Even though tourists may go to great lengths to get a laugh or smile out of the guards, we can all imagine that this is not the most exciting job in the world.  Yes, they do get a snappy uniform and worldwide recognition, but they also have to stand and walk all day and don't see much besides tourists and cameras.  But they still show up, day after day.  Watching, walking, turning, repeating, over and over. Practicing.  So the logical question is Why Bother?  Why do they keep showing up?  And the answer has to be that they believe in being part of something bigger than themselves.  In the case of the Royal Guards, they must take pride in continuing a tradition that was there before them and will be there after them.  It has meaning to them, and they believe in that meaning.

And the answer is the same for us.  Why should we keep practicing, and practicing our faith over and over?  Only if we believe in the meaning behind what we are doing. The tedium and monotony of the nature of practice is sometimes the test itself.  Can you keep practicing, even when it's boring and routine? Can you keep showing up?

Nutcrackers
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Nutcrackers are truly neat in the wide variety of expressions they take.  I have a small collection of nutcrackers, and they come in everything from soccer players to the Wizard of Oz to Geppeto.  But the most common form of the nutcracker is shown to the left - the soldier.  This particular form comes right out of the story of The Nutcracker itself, when it is given as a gift to Clara from her godfather, Herr Drosselmeyer. Clara falls asleep with the nutcracker in her arms and dreams of the fantastic fight between her nutcracker, who has become a prince, and his soldiers and the Mouse King, who leads an army of mice. 

What is most important in this story is that it is Clara who defeats the Mouse King, by coming to the aid of the tiring nutcracker.  She throws her slipper at the Mouse King, and it is enough to knock him senseless. So what does the nutcracker represent?  In this story, it represents Clara's decision to defend herself.  In some stories, such as City Mouse and Country Mouse, mice represent humility and littleness. This is also the case in many of the Hallmark ornaments, such as those in the Cookie Cutter Christmas series.  But that is not how they are portrayed in the story of the Nutcracker.  Here, they are as repugnant to Clara as a nest of rats. And rats are always symbols of nastiness, of something that must be confronted.  Here, the mice represent a step further on than humility - they represent fear and a deep-seated need to hide. In this case, the nutcracker represents strength and courage to stand up when it is difficult, to move from being victim to assertive.  

Sometimes we have to bow our heads and suffer wrongs patiently.  Many times we can do more good by holding our tongues and offering it up than by engaging. But sometimes we have to hold up our heads and admonish the sinner.  Sometimes, we have to go out and confront the wrong. It takes prayer and an inner life to know which to do and when to do it.  What mice are you afraid of?  And what is your nutcracker?