Driving home tonight I spoke the words of Silent Night softly. Christmas comes at the perfect time of the year. No matter what we have been through all year we end with twinkling lights, colorful decorations, presents wrapped in shiny paper, fellowship with those we love, and celebration of Jesus Christ.

Life is like this when we have Jesus in our lives. We will have villians and valleys in our life stories. When God is in our story we have a King to rule over and conquer the villians, and He will ride up on His white horse and pull us up out of every valley. When God is in our story there is always a happily ever after. In the end He wins. No matter what in the end we will say “All is calm, all is bright” and we will “Sleep in Heavenly peace”.

Take a moment this Christmas to speak the words of Silent Night ever so softly. The lyrics will whisper peace, joy, and love to your soul.

After speaking the words to Silent Night, I looked up the history and found out it was originally written as a poem.

Silent Night!
The origin of the Christmas carol we know as Silent Night was a poem that was written in 1816 by an Austrian priest called Joseph Mohr. On Christmas Eve in 1818 in the small alpine village called Oberndorf it is reputed that the organ at St. Nicholas Church had broken. Joseph Mohr gave the poem of Silent Night (Stille Nacht) to his friend Franz Xavier Gruber and the melody for Silent Night was composed with this in mind. The music to Silent Night was therefore intended for a guitar and the simple score was finished in time for Midnight Mass. Silent Night is the most famous Christmas carol of all time!

Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon Virgin Mother and Child
Holy Infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace

Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ, the Saviour is born
Christ, the Saviour is born

Silent night, holy night
Son of God, love’s pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth ”

kim crawford 12/14/2009