Freedommas

In spite of all my Thanksgiving posts, I have actually moved on to the next holiday. I've been enjoying the Christmas songs, secular and sacred alike. All through high school and college, I played Sleigh Bells in the band. The traditional instrumental version that we hear on the radio is the same one we played, and I can still remember the slide positions on my trombone.

I think my favorite song is O Holy Night. My music appreciation professor would say that it has appropriate "fittingness-intensity", i.e., the meaning of the lyrics is reflected in the emotions of the music. Additionally, the words of the song contain the entire gospel. The verses put forth the facts. In verse one, we learn that the world is full of darkness, yearning to be in the light; feeling worthless until Jesus comes. Verse two (which I'd never heard before writing this post) has people gathering to stand by Jesus' cradle. I especially like the last couplet, "King of kings... born to be our friend." Verse three is my favorite. It talks about how the world is transformed now that Jesus has come. The three choruses are what we are to do in response to Jesus coming to earth: Fall on your knees! Behold your King! Christ is the Lord! It's magnificent.

Oh holy night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Savior's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till 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! Oh, hear the angel voices!
Oh night divine, Oh night when Christ was born;
Oh night, Oh night divine, Oh night Divine.

Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,
Here come the wise men from Orient land.
The King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our friend.

He knows our need, to our weakness is no stranger,

Behold your King! Before Him lowly bend!
Behold your King, Behold your King.

Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother;
And in His name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy name.

Christ is the Lord! O praise His Name forever,
His power and glory evermore proclaim.
His power and glory evermore proclaim.

Verse three is by far my favorite, and the most meaningful. I love the image of Christ coming to break us free. The Bible teaches that we are slaves to whom we obey, and everyone is either a slave to sin or a slave to Christ. The problem is, slaves can't free themselves. O Holy Night declares that Jesus came to earth to break us out of prison. But even better, is how this song proclaims that when we are free from slavery, we follow Christ's law, the law of love. The slave is our brother. That means that under the law of love, we are required to care about people. It doesn't say "the freed slave is our brother", but instructs us to love those who are still in bondage. For Christians, there shouldn't be an "us versus them" mentality. Like Christ, we are to love people so much that if it takes our death for them to be freed, it is a glad sacrifice.

Christ was born so his death could bring us freedom. And that's what Christmas is about.