Every year I enjoy preparing for Christmas. In particular, I enjoy that despite the secularization of our society, this one time of the year we hear songs about Jesus played seemingly everywhere even if they are often interspersed with songs of Rudolph and Santa. The first hymns about Christmas are believed to originate from poems from as early as the 4th and 5th centuries. In fact, one of my personal favourites, “Of the Father’s Love Begotten” is believed to have been derived from a poem written by a Spanish poet around 436 AD.
Christmas carols as songs date back to the 12th century and began being written in English in the 15th century. These songs were sung during communal events and only later were introduced into churches following the Reformation. Many of the carols that we sing today were written in the 18th and 19th centuries. It is amazing to think about the history behind these songs and the way so many of them have not just endured but continue to be celebrated and to be used to celebrate Christ’s birth. Some of the songs have been added to or changed along the way. In 1984, my wife’s great aunt, Henrietta Ten Harmsel, wrote an additional verse for the hymn, “Silent Night! Holy Night!” which has appeared in some hymnals since:
Silent night! Holy night!
Son of God, source of light,
now lies crying in Bethlehem’s stall,
Tiny child, Creator of all,
Infant, Saviour and King!
Infant Saviour and King!
This verse, with its reference to the baby Jesus crying is certainly in contrast to the phrases in verse one, “all is calm, all is bright” and “Holy infant so tender and mild, sleep in heavenly peace,” and yet I think it is important for us to reflect on the fact that Jesus’ beginning on earth was not the perfect scene we often imagine it to be. That point is made well in this rant that a friend of mine wrote and performed for a production called, 2000 Candles.
As we continue to prepare for Christmas, let’s remember the staggering truth that God sent Jesus as a helpless baby not as a powerful, all-conquering warrior. What an incredibly humble beginning! And of course, Jesus did not stay a baby and ultimately what he did through his ministry and his death and resurrection is what we should celebrate most. Ultimately, we only celebrate Christmas because of Easter!
I hope you and your family have a blessed Christmas!