I was at a Christmas Party recently and was asked to share my favorite Christmas Carol in way of introducing myself. I did not have to think twice about my choice. I have been listening to O Holy Night since I was a young girl. When I hear this song it ignites hope in me. It reminds me of the passage that Jesus chose to begin his public ministry in Nazareth. He read from the book of Isaiah proclaiming:
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Jesus told the people that he was the fulfillment of this message and that this good news was for everyone, even their enemies. Unfortunately, when the crowd heard this they tried to throw him off a cliff.
O Holy Night proclaims a thrill of hope for a weary world. Is there anyone who does not need to hear this message of hope? As a follower of Jesus, I to, want to be a messenger of hope to a weary world.
O Holy Night proclaims a thrill of hope for a weary world. Is there anyone who does not need to hear this message of hope? As a follower of Jesus, I to, want to be a messenger of hope to a weary world.
While I was at this party, I had a conversation with a friend of mine who is very passionate about social justice. Our conversations alway encourage me because I see her heart of compassion for a weary world. She sees the suffering and the oppression in the world and it is never far from her thoughts and prayers. In the course of this conversation, we talked about the newly released movie, 12 Years A Slave. This is the true story of a free man living in New York in 1841. He gets kidnapped and taken to the south and is enslaved for the next twelve years (the slave is our brother). I went to see this movie on Thanksgiving. The movie was painful to watch. It shows the cruelty of slavery that we inflicted on people of color for hundreds of years. One of the most painful parts was to see how the Bible was used to justify torture and oppression. This is such a contrast to the life and mission of Jesus. I choose to expose myself to these stories to remind me that the world is still in sin and error pining. We would like to think that oppression and injustice are a thing of the past in this country. I know that this is so far from the truth.
I have found in my own life that when I speak of the oppressed poor in this country I ignite anger or defensiveness in those who find comfort in there social position. The conversation always turns to the poor in other nations and how rich we are in America. While I know that statically this is a true statement I also know that we have a responsibility to care for the poor of this nation. What I often hear is harsh words and blame for those who find themselves in need in America. It must be their fault that they are poor. After all they live in the wealthiest nation on earth. What is wrong with them? They must be lazy. According to the Census Bureau of 2011 nearly 50 million Americans are living in poverty. This is due to the rise in unemployment or low wage employment. Many of the people living in poverty in this country are working. They are not lazy. To live in the wealthiest nation in the world and still go to bed hungry and without heat is a national disgrace. This tells me that we are a nation without compassion for those in need in our very midst. Yes, I do believe that we must care for the poor in other parts of the world but shouldn’t we also care for those in our own community. To use the poor of the world to ignore the poor in our midst is cruel. It seems at Christmas time our hearts open to those in need and we tend to give a bit more than usual. This is a good start but we must find a way to relieve suffering that has a lasting impact. I know that it is unfair that I happen to be born into a nation that is rich. I did not choose this or deserve this it just came to me. No one chooses their place of birth. Jesus was born in poverty. He grew up in a small town and learned to make a living as a carpenter. As a man of thirty he stepped into the center of his world and preached this good news that God cares for the poor, the prisoner, the sick and the oppressed. He then spent the next three years living out this mission by extending love, healing and compassion to those in need. The powerful and wealthy of his community did not like what they saw happening and felt threatened by his life and message. Their response was to oppose him to the point of conspiracy and murder.
The final verse of this song sums up what I believe and hope for in this Christmas season and in every season of the year. Let us seek to love one another, break the chains of oppression and work for true peace toward all of creation!
I have found in my own life that when I speak of the oppressed poor in this country I ignite anger or defensiveness in those who find comfort in there social position. The conversation always turns to the poor in other nations and how rich we are in America. While I know that statically this is a true statement I also know that we have a responsibility to care for the poor of this nation. What I often hear is harsh words and blame for those who find themselves in need in America. It must be their fault that they are poor. After all they live in the wealthiest nation on earth. What is wrong with them? They must be lazy. According to the Census Bureau of 2011 nearly 50 million Americans are living in poverty. This is due to the rise in unemployment or low wage employment. Many of the people living in poverty in this country are working. They are not lazy. To live in the wealthiest nation in the world and still go to bed hungry and without heat is a national disgrace. This tells me that we are a nation without compassion for those in need in our very midst. Yes, I do believe that we must care for the poor in other parts of the world but shouldn’t we also care for those in our own community. To use the poor of the world to ignore the poor in our midst is cruel. It seems at Christmas time our hearts open to those in need and we tend to give a bit more than usual. This is a good start but we must find a way to relieve suffering that has a lasting impact. I know that it is unfair that I happen to be born into a nation that is rich. I did not choose this or deserve this it just came to me. No one chooses their place of birth. Jesus was born in poverty. He grew up in a small town and learned to make a living as a carpenter. As a man of thirty he stepped into the center of his world and preached this good news that God cares for the poor, the prisoner, the sick and the oppressed. He then spent the next three years living out this mission by extending love, healing and compassion to those in need. The powerful and wealthy of his community did not like what they saw happening and felt threatened by his life and message. Their response was to oppose him to the point of conspiracy and murder.
The final verse of this song sums up what I believe and hope for in this Christmas season and in every season of the year. Let us seek to love one another, break the chains of oppression and work for true peace toward all of creation!
Oh
Holy Night
Oh holy
night!
The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of the dear Savior's birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Till he appear'd and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!
Fall on your knees
Oh hear the angel voices
Oh night divine
Oh night when Christ was born
Oh night divine
Oh night divine
Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming
Here come the wise men from Orient land
The King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger
In all our trials born to be our friend
Truly He taught us to love one another
His law is love and His gospel is peace
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother
And in His name all oppression shall cease
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy name
The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of the dear Savior's birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Till he appear'd and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!
Fall on your knees
Oh hear the angel voices
Oh night divine
Oh night when Christ was born
Oh night divine
Oh night divine
Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming
Here come the wise men from Orient land
The King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger
In all our trials born to be our friend
Truly He taught us to love one another
His law is love and His gospel is peace
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother
And in His name all oppression shall cease
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy name
Good stuff, Cathy. Thank you .
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