Day Thirty Nine - Silent Night, Holy Night

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

Well that is us into December now, so it won’t be long until we get into full flow for Christmas. It’s the most wonderful time of the year! And the reason I know that is because Santa sang it to me near the end of October as I entered one of the large department stores in the town. Yes, they have a 6ft real life model Santa Claus in a corner at the store entrance which is operated by a movement sensor, so every time you pass by, Santa springs to life and sings the only song he knows. My thoughts go to the staff who work there all day and hear the performance many times over. One staff member did ask me, “How do you switch that thing off? It is doing my head in!” My answer was, “Could we not teach it to sing Silent Night, one of my favourite carols, that talks of a time when the birth of the Jesus brought peace to all mankind.” I didn’t need to ask her thoughts for her looks said it all.

As we look toward Christmas this year it may be that our celebrations will be completely different, especially for families who have just lost jobs through Covid 19 and don’t know how they will ever make ends meet. Before the stress levels rise, the lyrics of this carol can bring peace and a soothing to what could be a stormy season.

Silent night, holy night all is calm, all is bright

Round yon virgin, mother and child

Holy infant so tender and mild

Sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace

If we look closely, this word ‘peace’ can be found throughout the Christmas story. Peace was prophesied, and it was promised, and peace was provided. The angels who made their appearance first to Zechariah, then to Mary, and finally to the shepherds implied peace each time they proclaimed, “Fear not! I bring you good tidings of great joy!”

Here is a suggestion for us this Christmas time: Fear not! Calm down! Don’t worry, strive, or stress. Peace will diminish your fears and calm your heart. Breathe in peace and breathe out the worries and anxieties that flood your mind, body, and soul. Husband-and-wife song writing duo Jill Jackson Miller and Sy Miller had the right idea when they composed the song:

Let there be peace on earth

And let it begin with me.

Let there be peace on earth

The peace that was meant to be.

With God as our Father

Brothers all are we.

Let me walk with my brother

In perfect harmony.

The song was written as a simple reminder for us to be the change, that we want to see in the world. So how about it then!

Enjoy your day!

Tom Bonnar