Monday, December 23, 2013

Silent Night, Holy Night



It was Christmas Eve, 1818, in the small Alpine village of Oberndorf. What a time for the church organ at St. Nicholas Church to refuse to work!

The Austrian priest, Joseph Mohr, had written the lyrics to a new hymn that he called, "Silent Night, Holy Night." But without the organ, how would he be able to share this with the congregation? When we have created something beautiful, we want to share it. He had a dilemma.

Joseph Mohr gave the lyrics to his new song to Franz Xavier Gruber, who set the poem to music for the guitar, finishing the score just in time for Christmas Eve.

In their yearning to fill a need in this little church, these two men tapped into their God-given creativity and made the Christmas narrative breathtakingly lovely for millions around the world. Everyone, from little children to seasoned adults, has been touched by its beauty.


The Silent Night Memorial Chapel in Oberndorf, Austria

You and I may not be able to create something as fabulous as this wonderful hymn, but we still have a longing in our hearts to touch other people's lives. I think that, especially at this time of year, we have a desire to give back, to bless others, to touch the lives of those around us.

We know this is the season for giving. We give tangible, gorgeously wrapped gifts to express how much we appreciate God's gift of His Son who was born in a stable and laid in a manger. We want to acknowledge God's great sacrificial gift to us. I think that is what our hearts yearn for when we speak of "getting into the Christmas spirit." We want to feel we are doing something meaningful, doing something that will touch other lives.

After the gifts have been opened, we feel sort of let down.

But perhaps that is the time, when the tinsel and glitz are past, to do the real giving.

We can purpose in our hearts to give the really important gifts every day of the year - a loving word to someone who is weary, an encouraging touch that says, "You are doing a good job and I appreciate you." And let us not underestimate the value of a kind message to someone who may not even know he needs it. Loving-kindness has a beauty all its own.

You and I cannot top "Silent Night," but we can strive to ease weary hearts all year long.

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