“O night when Christ was born”. The ultimate reason for celebration. “Truly He taught us to love one another, His law is love and His gospel is peace”. God sent His own Son to pay the price, in full, for our sins. The greatest gift.
December 1999. I hear a Christmas song like no other on WAAF, 107.3 out of Boston. I call the station to find out what the song was and who played it. It’s Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and the song is Christmas Eve Sarajevo 12/24. I have been hooked ever since.
I am a poor boy too. I have no gift to bring. That is fit to give our King. So, I will do my best for Him. Oh, to get a smile from the King, now that would be a thing. Lord, at thy birth. Reverence, respect. So, to honor Him. That is how I see the Little Drummer Boy.
I honestly do believe that the world would be a much better place if we all experienced a lot more silent nights. Nights that are distraction free, and absent of our insane modern day schedules. Nights full of reverence, reflection, pondering, fun, but not entertainment, and allowing the creative mind to work like it did when we were kids. Or at least when our parents were kids.
Humble beginnings. Place of birth does not define your future, but it may enhance it. Often times the greatest leaders don’t wander too far from the very common. The humble. The meek. “Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay, Close by me forever, And love me I pray”.
Maybe it was the first time that I ever heard a Christmas song that didn’t sound like the rest of the Christmas songs that I knew, but it has stuck with me ever since. There was a second time too, but we’ll get to that on song #2. I heard this song on the radio and had to know who they were, and where could we get a copy of the song.
Whether you are stuck in an attic watching old family movies with Clark Griswold, or sitting by a cozy fire with your family, or even taking a walk in the snow, there is definitely something special about that spirit of Christmas.
To adore: 1) to worship or honor as a deity or as divine. 2) to regard with loving admiration and devotion. 3) to be very fond of. Oh come let us adore him, Christ the Lord. I think that really is all that needs to be said. We adore all kinds of things and a lot of them don’t matter much in the big picture. But then there is One that is bigger than the picture. Oh come let us adore him, Christ the Lord.
Think about this. In 1719, Isaac Watts wrote the English Christmas carol, Joy to the world. The song is based on Psalm 98 from the Old Testament, celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. That is a reason for joy, and the reason for this season. The song is more than 300 years old, and the joy is still available to any and all.