Oh, Holy Night

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQWXfHzOKUU

One of my all time favorite Christmas songs is Oh Holy Night (I especially love the version linked above). Not only does it take me back to precious memories as a child on special nights like Christmas Eve, but it is a song that really makes me envision Christ’s birth. The words in the song reveal Jesus’ character in the most simple, beautiful way.

My family has a book of famous Christmas hymns and the story behind how they were written. Loving writing like I do, I am always fascinated to read the stories behind the songs or books to see what the author of the words were feeling in order to write such beautiful work. I looked up this song so I can find out just what inspired the author of these words to write them.
Apparently, the author was asked by a French priest to write a poem about the birth of Christ. This French poet at the time was struggling with the priest’s request. On a stagecoach ride from a small town in France to Paris, the poet got to work. He began reading the book of Luke and the story of Jesus’ birth. After reading the complete account, he began to imagine what it would be like to witness the Son of God being born in a tiny town of Bethlehem. The French poet was so moved by imagining such a scene that the words of “Oh Holy Night” just poured out of him, and that night the entire poem was written. After reading his own words that night, he thought they deserved beautiful music to accompany them. Just three weeks later, the song was performed in France at a midnight Christmas Eve service.

Years later in 1871 during the Franco-Prussia War, German and French soldiers were in intense battle during Christmas Eve night. In the middle of the battle, a French soldier came out of the trenches and began singing the first three lines of “Oh Holy Night.” After singing it, the men laid down their weapons for the night in peace.

I love this song not only because I think the above story is wonderful, but also if you listen to the lyrics closely and focus, Christmas, the real Christmas, becomes so alive. This song represents the birth of a baby born in a dirty stable, brought into a world full of sin. I love the line that says, “A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices” because to everyone, Christmas is that time where they get a glimpse of hope. I can’t even imagine what that actual night was like; when hope became fully alive in the shape of an innocent baby.

As the song continues, it covers every aspect of what we picture the Nativity scene to look like. And you can picture a small baby lying in a trough where pigs eat out of: “King of kings, lay thus in lowly manger” and you have to just be amazed that this person who we have created and celebrated an entire season’s worth of holiday was born in a manger. But I love line next line that says “King of kings.” It then goes on to say, “In all our trials, born to be our friend.” This is so beautiful because we are given a picture of the tenderness of Christ. Although he is the king, he was born to be our friend no matter what.

And probably one of my favorite lines of the entire song is, “Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother” because Jesus’ birth broke so many chains; of injustice, heartbreak, sorrow, loss, tragedy, sin. And His life showed us how to love the lowliest of people as our brother.
When I hear the lyrics, “Fall on your knees, oh hear the angel voices” it really makes me stop and think of just how holy a night that was. The Savior was born and yet most of us won’t even stop to ponder the fact that the reason we have Christmas vacation and go shopping for gifts is because Jesus Christ was born. Shouldn’t we fall on our knees?

Listening to this beautiful Christmas hymn puts the entire night of what it must have been like come alive. The song says, “Let all within us praise His holy name.” I hope that within these next few days before Christmas day comes, we can all truly and honestly do this, and listen to the celebration of the angel’s voices, because what a holy night that must have been.