In my last post, I made a reference to my favorite Christmas song of all time, O Holy Night, sung by the wonderful voice of Josh Groban. This song is incredibly hard to sing for me, and as a man, I have tremendous respect for those who succeed where I have failed. You need to have a really good range to hit those high notes, something that I am lacking. (Side note: in middle school I was one of a few boys who actually could sing and was actually involved in middle school show choir and a Capella group. Thanks to my Asian upbringing that involved intense piano study, I developed a great ear and knew my way around a music staff. As a tenor, I was one of the few who could hit those high notes. Then one day, puberty came and my greatest asset and contributions to the choir left me and my dreams of being the front man of a boy band died.) In fact, whenever I sing during worship, I always feel bad for the people around me as I make valiant attempts to hit the high notes. I seriously think that there have been times when others have left the area around me to go worship next to someone who can actually sing.
Now if you've been to any Christmas Eve service in a Protestant church, you've probably ended the night singing this song. It's been a staple of every Christmas themed service I've ever attended. It's very easy to take this song for granted, or any other worship hymn or song for that matter. But have you ever stopped to think about the lyrics you are singing? Because this song is surprisingly deep upon further review and makes some bold claims. Over the next few posts, I'm going to analyze the lyrics of this Christmas classic.
O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of our dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
'Til 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! O hear the angels' voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born;
O night divine, O night, O night Divine.
The first verses of the song set the setting for the well known entrance of Jesus. But starting with the 4th lines, the song has some serious implications. Think about it. Human souls had no worth. It was stuck in the mire of sin. Life was hopeless. This all changes with the birth of Christ. The soul regains its worth when Christ steps onto the scene. Apart from him, there is no real hope in the world. This occasion marks the dawning of a new age, a new chapter of humanity where a personal intimate relationship with the Father is made possible by the Son. So what are we told to do when we hear this good news? We fall on our knees and worship. The last time I was listening to this song, instead of being amazed by God's love, I was more in awe of Josh Groban, or Celine Dion's vocal fortitude. But we should be in awe of the voices of the angels in heaven who are declaring "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!" (Luke 2:14). The rebellion of humanity's sin against God is coming to an end. Heaven has sent down an olive branch, and all of God's angels rejoice. I wonder how beautiful and terrifying it must have been for those shepherds that holy night when they sat in their fields and all of a sudden, a legion of God's angels appeared to them shouting the praises of God.
As we continue on in this Christmas season, I encourage you to look at the lyrics of your favorite Christmas carols that talk about the birth of Christ. Really reflect on them, and understand what you are proclaiming when you sing along on the radio or in a candle light Christmas church service. I'll continue my analysis of O Holy Night in my next post. Until then, you stay classy, world wide web!
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