It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

It came upon the midnight clear,
That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth,
To touch their harps of gold:
"Peace on the earth, goodwill to men
From heavens all gracious King!"
The world in solemn stillness lay
To hear the angels sing.

O ye beneath life's crushing load,
Whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way
With painful steps and slow;
Look now, for glad and golden hours
Come swiftly on the wing;
Oh rest beside the weary road
And hear the angels sing.

For lo! the days are hastening on,
By prophets seen of old,
When with the ever-circling years
Shall come the time foretold,
When the new heaven and earth shall own
The Prince of Peace, their King,
And the whole world send back the song
Which now the angels sing.

Don't you just love it when you are listening to a song you've heard a thousand times and you hear something you've never heard before? Music and literature are amazing this way! Something that seems so familiar takes on new shape and new life because you are listening with new ears. You are not the same person you were yesterday; the events of your days, the hardships and the joys, they change you. And so each time you come to a song, a sonnet, your favorite book, the potential for new meaning is there.

Yesterday just that thing happened to me. I was listening to It Came Upon a Midnight Clear and for some reason my ears latched on to the second verse. It begins O ye beneath life's crushing load, Whose forms are bending low. Perhaps it is because I know many who feel this way right now, crushed by the weight of this world, hunched over from the load they carry on their shoulders and in their souls. Or maybe it is because I see this in the world around me--a heavy-hearted nation, wounded by division and hatred. Or perhaps it is the heaviness I feel as I look at the suffering in my own life, the ache of horrible moments and seasons that do not know complete healing. Whatever the case may be, my ears tuned in to hear just what the angels would sing to me, to my hurting friends, to this aching world.

The angels recognize that the weight of the world amounts to great toil, agonizing work that makes little progress. Our steps are painful, they are slow. We seek to make things better, day after day waking to try a little harder to improve our existence. We toil a little more to gain the approval of others. We even strive tirelessly to impress a perfect God, hoping to satisfy Him with our good deeds. The angels know we are constantly bogged down by the chains of trying to be more, do more, achieve more. They see us on this weary road, and they beg us to pause, to rest, and to hear the good news.

"Listen!" they beg. "Hear us!" they shout. "We bring great news!" they proclaim. The day has come, the one that the prophets told us about. The long waiting for a solution to this striving has ended. The Messiah has come, ushering in the new heaven and the new earth--a taste of the redeemed kingdom is here. The Prince of Peace has come, bringing peace for your weary soul--no more anxious toiling. The King has come, bringing strength and power for your weary body--He brings a new kingdom where all broken things will be made new. The Savior has come, bringing good news--He is enough, so you don't have to keep trying to be. 

Are you listening? Can you hear the good news they herald? Do you feel your soul exhale in rest? Sit down on a rock beside that weary road and just listen. Soak it up. Hear the news of freedom and truth. Set aside the load you carry and lay it at the feet of the Christ Child. He has come that you might no longer be crushed. In fact, He comes to crush the evil one who has crushed you for oh-so-many years. Lift up your head, feel the weight lifted, and join the chorus of praise. 

The King, the Savior, the Prince of Peace has come. Let us echo back the praise of the angels. May we, the weary, rest and rejoice for we are liberated from our load! Praise be to God!