Christmas is full of great songs, with wonderful imagery of sleighs and reindeer, trees and gifts, donkeys, cows and sheep surrounding a makeshift crib in the most unlikely of circumstances. One of my recent favorites is
Do You Hear What I Hear.
I heard it again for the first time not too long ago. I really listened and thought, THIS is a Christmas Sermon.
Said the night wind to the little lamb,
Do you see what I see
Way up in the sky, little lamb,
Do you see what I see
A star, a star, dancing in the night
With a tail as big as a kite
With a tail as big as a kite
Have you ever heard the night wind? the whistling night wind can send a shiver through you: what's out there? Who's out there? Am I safe?
Once God came to be one of us as Jesus of Nazreth, once we trusted that a God was here because of love, nothing else, simply and profoundly and fully of LOVE, the night wind takes on a new tone-- a tone of endless and utter protection, as the night wind whistles through the window psne-- we stir from our sleep and then settle back in because we know we are safe, the night wind carries that wondrous star of hope to deliver us from loneliness, worry and fear. It protects us from doubt and hate and darkness.
Said the night wind to the little lamb. Do you see what I see? It's Emmanuel--- it's God, who's with us forevermore.
Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy,
Do you hear what I hear
Ringing through the sky, shepherd boy,
Do you hear what I hear
A song, a song, high above the trees
With a voice as big as the sea
With a voice as big as the sea
do you hear what I hear?
It's ringing through the sky, a choir of angels singing at the top of their lungs--- and let me tell you, angels can be loud!!!-they're singing, Glory to God in the highest heaven and peace to all the earth!
They're saying, look ! Look right under that star with a tail as big as a kite, in that crib lined with hay--- it's a beautiful beautiful boy, Mary and Joseph's boy. God in the flesh, as innocent as a child as powerful as God. A regular boy kissed by God and sent to us. All of us, each of us, any of us who are ready to welcome him--- the Prince of Peace-- into our hearts. He has come for us. For you. For me. A man, a God, savior. Jesus Christ.
Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king,
Do you know what I know
In your palace warm, mighty king,
Do you know what I know
A Child, a Child shivers in the cold
Let us bring Him silver and gold
Let us bring Him silver and gold
The shepherds saw it with their own eyes, the animals in the stable, breathing the breath of holy warmth on this child who is destined to be a completely new kind of King. A boy who will grow into a man like no other, a man who will reach out to the outcast, the hated and the despised. A God who will know us—completely and utterly and thoroughly---and a God who Loves us—comlpletely and utterly and thoroughly. A man who is a God and who love us beyond all measure.
A gift of God, given to us from God. Given for you. And given for me.
Can you feel it? Can you hear it? Can you see it?
Do you know what I know? God is here. For all. For ever.
Said the king to the people everywhere,
Listen to what I say
Pray for peace, people everywhere!
Listen to what I say
The Child, the Child, sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and light
He will bring us goodness and light
He has brought us goodness and light.
Look around.
Do you see what I see?
Love. HOPE AND peace.
He has brought us goodness and light. And it’s here, right now, for us to take, for us to embrace, for us to live.
Do you see?
Do you hear?
Do you know?
On this night, the whole earth is united under one star, singing one song and looking with wonder upon one miracle.
May the wonder of it all fill you to overflowing and may this Christmas bring us all that much closer to the dream of the night wind, the little lamb, the shepherd boy and the mighty king:
Peace on Earth.
May you all have a Merry merry Christmas and a peaceful New year. Amen.
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