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the soul felt its worth

Call me a “South Pole” elf if you must, but I’m seriously starting to become resentful towards the Christmas season…let me explain. Christmas is a season, I believe, that was once filled with such joy and adoration towards a newborn King, an Eternal Savior. In the popular Christmas song, O Holy Night, one beautiful line states it clearly… “Long lay the world in sin and error pining, ’till He appeared and the soul felt its worth, a thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices…”
 
For a very long time before the coming of my sweet Jesus, the world lay broken and crippled due to the effects of sin. The world, the people, completely desperate and helpless, lay in a continuous state of desolation that would only ultimately lead to death. But as the lines of the song suggest…such hope was ushered in. There was not a solution to the problems until HE appeared. And when he did, when he appeared, the people didn’t just feel happy, but the souls of people, their very core, felt worth and meaning. (That’s all it takes, isn’t it? Just for God to appear and for His Spirit to remind us of that worth.) The reaction of the people is beyond words. The thrill of hope, the light that has been revealed, caused the weary and downtrodden world to rejoice.
 
So here’s the issue. I fear that the way our society views this season no longer lines up with the innocence and purity of the previously written song verse. Nowadays, the explanation of this phrase might sound a little different. Much like, “it’s been a difficult year, and next year looks no more promising. But my false belief in giving and receiving gifts fills me with such happiness that now I have found my worth. My soul is now filled with joy, thanks to all of the clothes and things I have accumulated. My thrill of hope has come, now I can rejoice.”
 
Friends, materialism has taken over our minds, our holidays, and our focus. We’ve become distracted. Our gaze has shifted from the face of Jesus to a tree that gets put away in January. Materialism is the nesting ground of unhappiness and I think it’s time that we travel back into the hands of the Father and the hope and joy that only He can provide.
 
Church, yes church, we are far from innocent. How many pairs of shoes will it take to give your soul worth? How many Christmas parties need to be thrown in order to secure hope? How many people do you need to impress in order to feel like rejoicing?
 
Later in the song it states, “Fall on your knees”… church, I pray that’s what we do this season. I pray that we, myself included, will take a second, stop and re-surrender ourselves to our Lord. I pray that in this season, that is now seen as more stressful than ever, that we are able to proclaim “all is calm, all is bright” because of the hope and joy we found in his coming.
 
Do me a favor and think of Mary & Joseph the night of the delivery of Jesus. When I think of this night, I imagine such sweet serenity. I don’t think Mary was concerned with there being food to eat when the shepherds arrived. I believe that on that night, Mary and Joseph, as well as the animals surrounding them, lay still in complete worship. Their glimpse of hope was born, their weary world was rocked, and they rejoiced.

2 Comments

  1. How wonderful…Rejoice! Rejoice!
    I have been blessed to cross paths with your Aunt Christine. Will add you to our prayer list. May the Holy Spirit guide you in your mission for God’s purpose.

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