The familiar words stuck in my throat, unable to get past the lump that had formed there suddenly. Music played and people in church sang all around me as I dabbed my eyes and took a deep breath. How many times had I heard and sung “O Holy Night”? The words of the of the first verse were familiar, but somehow struck me in a new way:
O holy night the stars are brightly shining/ It is the night of our dear Savior’s birth/ Long lay the world in sin and error pining/ Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth/ A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices/ For yonder breaks/ A new and glorious morn
The lyrics share the truth of the gospel so clearly: Jesus came to save the world from sin. But it was that fifth line that did me in: “A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices.” Acknowledging our weariness hit a nerve. It’s been a rough year and our world and nation are weary. People seem more angry and afraid than they’ve been in a long time. It’s impossible to glance at the headlines without reading one ugly piece of news after another. And yet, hope remains. The very reason we celebrate Christmas is that Jesus pierced this dark world with the light of His presence. The entire season is meant to point us back to Him.
Fall on your knees/ O hear the angel voices/ O night divine/ O night when Christ was born
As we turn our attention to Jesus, He changes our hearts. The light of His love within us shines into the darkness and changes the world around us for the better.
Truly He taught us to love one another/ His law is love and His gospel is peace/ Chains He shall break/ For the slave is our brother/ And in His Name/ All oppression shall cease/ Sweet hymns of joy/ In grateful chorus raise we/ Let all within us praise His holy Name
Acknowledging Christ’s sovereignty in our lives opens the door for God’s kingdom on earth to be furthered through us. As we love one another and pursue peace, He uses us to bring people out of oppression and into freedom, whether it is spiritually, emotionally, or physically. Seeing Him change lives causes us to praise Him further. All of these things lead us to celebrate Christ’s birth and to fall at His feet in wonder, awe and humility.
Christ is the Lord/ O praise His Name forever/ His power and glory/ Evermore proclaim/ His power and glory/ Evermore proclaim
Fall on your knees/ O hear the angel voices/ O night divine/ O night when Christ was born/ O night divine/ O night divine
Our world is weary and many of us are also weary on a personal level, so let’s listen to the old Christmas carols with an attentive ear this season. “O Holy Night” isn’t the only song that proclaims the gospel or points us to the hope found in Jesus. Let the familiar words of favorite carols encourage you this December. Focus your attention on the heart of the season and the love of God will naturally flow from you to bless others.
Click on the link to hear Lauren Daigle’s version of “O Holy Night.”
(Note, the lyrics above are the arrangement written by Michael Guy Chislett & Dylan Thomas from Hillsong United)