Silent Night, Holy Night… It’s my favorite Christmas carol. But I know the truth. I know that it wasn’t a silent night.
When Mary and Joseph entered Bethlehem, it was bustling with people. It was so crowded that there wasn’t even a room where they could sleep. We may not relate to much of that culture, but we understand crowds, and we know that crowds are not usually quiet.
When the couple finally settled down for the night, it was in a stable, and stables generally have animals. We may not know much about sleeping in a barn, but we know that animals don’t understand “ssshhh.”
And then, Mary went into labor. We may not be able to imagine a lot about giving birth without the comfort of a hospital or aid of a doctor, but we understand that it hurt, a lot. Mary was most likely not silent in her pain.
We know that baby Jesus, contrary to the song, did cry. We know that the angels sang their praises loudly. We know that the sheep and shepherds didn’t tip-toe into or out of town as they shared the miraculous events of that night.
So, I seriously doubt there was anything silent or calm about that first Christmas night.
For some reason, that reality brings me more comfort that the beautiful Christmas song, because there’s not much that is silent or calm about this Christmas either.
So many people are fighting such hard battles right now. There are people struggling with their finances, struggling with their marriages, struggling with their children, struggling with their health, struggling with loss, struggling with pain, struggling, struggling, struggling.
Even in our minds, there is no silence.
This world, this life, is hard sometimes. It’s hard not to feel the oppression. It’s hard not to give up. It’s hard not to feel as if Satan is winning or at least gaining ground.
But, he’s not. The outcome has already been determined. The victory has already been won.
Jesus was born into a world full of chaos. He wasn’t born to change our income but to change our inclinations, not to change our status but to change our sentiments, not even to necessarily change our circumstances but to change our compassions.
1 Corinthians 15:57-58 says, “But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.”
So, this Christmas, as we search for silence, as we search for peace, let’s start by looking in the mirror and asking ourselves, “How can I be more like Christ?”
Because, yes, Jesus wants to make a difference in our world but He does that first by making a difference in our hearts.