Silent Night

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

Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ, the Saviour is born
Christ, the Saviour is born

Silent night, holy night
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth

One of my favorite stories about this song tells of the cease fire that took place on Christmas Eve during World War I. There was an agreed upon reprieve from the fighting as men on each side of the field sang this song in their own language, same tune, different translation of the words. The music and words brought these two opposing parties together, unifying them for a brief moment on this holy night. They crossed the field, hugged, exchanged gifts, and for one day they saw one another as brothers in Christ. Silent night, holy night, under the presence of heavenly peace.

Unlike so many other Christmas hymns, this song reflects pure joy. Other than the shepherds quaking, everything in this song conveys that all is well with the world. The description of the night is idyllic, and if we are honest, a bit unbelievable. The pure joy, the heavenly peace, the pure light. It all seems a bit much. As we've seen in so many Christmas carols, Jesus was born into filth, into a weary world, into a world under a curse. So does this hymn lead us astray? Is it just a hyperbolic utopia that is nice for little kids to sing, but doesn't reflect reality?

I want to argue that this beautiful song paints a picture that our hearts need; it draws a stark contrast to the world we know. Our lives are so broken, our days so long, our nights full of fear. The darkness has eclipsed our hearts and lives; we are wandering, hands out in front of us, grasping for what is there, what is true. We are blind to the evils that lurk within and without us. We are lost, in desperate need of a candle, a flashlight, a torch. This is where God finds His people on that night so long ago, and it's where He finds us now. It is into this darkness that God sends love's pure light.

In the midst of war, in the midst of discord, in the midst of blackout, God sends His marvelous light. Can you see how much light is shining on this Nativity scene in Bethlehem? All is calm, all is bright, glory streams from heaven afar, angels fill the skies with Alleluia, radiant beams from God's holy face. We are graced with love's pure light. We are in the ink black darkness, and God blinds us with His light. The love of God, the Word made flesh, the Light of the World pierces our obscurity and makes everything clear.

In some ways we need the idyllic scene to understand just how radical this night is. If it was a night like any other, we might miss the contrast between what once was and what now is. Without the light, all we know is darkness. Without the darkness, all we know is light. In order to truly understand the one, the weight and power of the one, we must understand the other. It is because we are so acquainted with the darkness that the light draws us near. It is because we know that anxious worry and reaching about, that we understand the peace that light brings. When we stand in the light, there is nothing to fear; everything is out in the open, and we are now armed with everything we might need for battle.

Jesus, this holy infant, so tender and mild brings everything we might require to face the darkness. His gift to us on that night is that we no longer have to fear the darkness. We can walk in His light. We can see the enemy, we can know that the light has come, and we can know with certainty that His love conquers every darkness. Evil no longer has anywhere to hide, the Light of the World has eclipsed him once and for all.

Love's pure light has pierced our gloom. The dawn of redeeming grace has cast His light upon this world, and our fears and anxieties are just a shadow of what they once were. At His birth, Jesus the Lord brought light to this world. He opened our eyes to the wonder of heavenly peace, redeeming grace, and the pure light of love. Praise God that they who walked in darkness will now see a great light! We must walk in the light, in the light of the greatest gift the world will ever know.