One of my favorite Christmas songs recently has been "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel." Here are the lyrics to the first verse and chorus:
O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
If you're more the video type, here's a video you can watch instead:
In the times of the Old Testament, the House of Israel (aka--descendants of Abraham from Isaac and on) waited for a Savior to deliver them from captivity. Their captivity was more of a physical sense, they thought, and waited for that Messiah (aka Emmanuel) to vanquish their enemies--the Egyptians, the Babylonians, the Assyrians, the Romans--and provide them, on a collective level, with the blessings deserving of a chosen people, including the freedom from the governments which they perceived held them captive.
Hold that thought as you ponder the next paragraph or two.
Christmas used to be a festive and borderline frivolous time for me. Think Buddy the Elf, but less syrup on spaghetti. That's gross. Anyway, that was Christmas. Of course, I always tried to keep the religious aspects of the season in mind as well. The story of the birth of the long awaited Messiah grew in me, but it wasn't until I understood the bitterness of the holidays that I came to truly begin to appreciate the importance of that sacred event.
Nowadays, I spend most of my Christmas Eves not in anticipation of the day to come. Instead, I think of all of the kids who dread December 24 and the days which follow. Those kids who, in spite of their innocence, are subjected to the most vile forms of human nature during their holiday vacations. Children who are abused. Neglected. Forgotten entirely. Children who have to wonder why Santa skipped their house... again--and subsequently see themselves as unfit for goodness in general. Children who question whether there can be a God who loves them, and--if there is--wonder why He would forget them... again.
My heart goes out to those parents who, in spite of all of their best efforts, are unable to provide a suitable Christmas for their deserving children.
My mind reels with the sorrow of those who mourn the loss of loved ones, taken too soon: those who won't have a stocking hanging above the fireplace or presents under the tree.
My soul becomes heavy with all of the reprehensible occurrences in the lives of those who deserve better than what they have gotten; the darkness of which stands in stark contrast to the lights of the season.
Of course, I eventually come to terms with my own sphere of influence (or lack thereof) and find some consolation in the understanding that I cannot fix every problem of every person. That, however, is where this Messiah comes in.
Christmas isn't the best time for everyone, but it is--nonetheless--important. For me, it is the evidence that no one is forgotten. That a Messiah truly came to Earth to deliver Israel. To deliver all of us. However, unlike those living during the time of the Old and New Testaments, I know that this Messiah wasn't come only to deliver us from tyrannical rule. (That time is yet to come.) Instead, our Messiah came to deliver us from a captivity more burdensome than this: He came to save us from abuse. Neglect. Illness. Sorrow. Sin. Every reprehensible occurrence, whether by our own fault or the fault of another.
At times, I've heard testimonials of those who have "accepted Christ" that seem flippant and shallow. However, for those who have truly set their mind firmly to following in the example set by that Man born in Bethlehem, they find that the experience is anything but flippant and shallow. It is, rather, a tangible experience, one that transforms us from the inside out. At times, it isn't our circumstances that change. It is us who are changed.
And we are delivered.
What's more, is that someday, whether in this life or the next, we are promised that the faithful will receive recompense for every grievance experienced in mortality. No deserved blessing will be withheld. "The Lord compensates the faithful for every loss. That which is taken away from those who love the Lord will be added unto them in His own way. While it may not come at the time we desire, the faithful will know that every tear today will eventually be returned a hundredfold with tears of rejoicing and gratitude" (Joseph B. Wirthlin).
And we are delivered.
It is my solemn and gladsome testimony at this time that "God is not dead, nor doth He sleep. The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, with peace on Earth. Goodwill toward men" (I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day). I testify that the Messiah did come, and He did deliver us. Every single one of us, whether we choose to believe it or not. Are these not the "tidings of great joy" uttered to shepherds all those years ago? Is this not the message that angels still deliver today?
We are delivered by Him who is called Wonderful, Counselor, All-Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace.
That's why Christmas is important.
O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
If you're more the video type, here's a video you can watch instead:
In the times of the Old Testament, the House of Israel (aka--descendants of Abraham from Isaac and on) waited for a Savior to deliver them from captivity. Their captivity was more of a physical sense, they thought, and waited for that Messiah (aka Emmanuel) to vanquish their enemies--the Egyptians, the Babylonians, the Assyrians, the Romans--and provide them, on a collective level, with the blessings deserving of a chosen people, including the freedom from the governments which they perceived held them captive.
Hold that thought as you ponder the next paragraph or two.
Christmas used to be a festive and borderline frivolous time for me. Think Buddy the Elf, but less syrup on spaghetti. That's gross. Anyway, that was Christmas. Of course, I always tried to keep the religious aspects of the season in mind as well. The story of the birth of the long awaited Messiah grew in me, but it wasn't until I understood the bitterness of the holidays that I came to truly begin to appreciate the importance of that sacred event.
Nowadays, I spend most of my Christmas Eves not in anticipation of the day to come. Instead, I think of all of the kids who dread December 24 and the days which follow. Those kids who, in spite of their innocence, are subjected to the most vile forms of human nature during their holiday vacations. Children who are abused. Neglected. Forgotten entirely. Children who have to wonder why Santa skipped their house... again--and subsequently see themselves as unfit for goodness in general. Children who question whether there can be a God who loves them, and--if there is--wonder why He would forget them... again.
My heart goes out to those parents who, in spite of all of their best efforts, are unable to provide a suitable Christmas for their deserving children.
My mind reels with the sorrow of those who mourn the loss of loved ones, taken too soon: those who won't have a stocking hanging above the fireplace or presents under the tree.
My soul becomes heavy with all of the reprehensible occurrences in the lives of those who deserve better than what they have gotten; the darkness of which stands in stark contrast to the lights of the season.
Of course, I eventually come to terms with my own sphere of influence (or lack thereof) and find some consolation in the understanding that I cannot fix every problem of every person. That, however, is where this Messiah comes in.
Christmas isn't the best time for everyone, but it is--nonetheless--important. For me, it is the evidence that no one is forgotten. That a Messiah truly came to Earth to deliver Israel. To deliver all of us. However, unlike those living during the time of the Old and New Testaments, I know that this Messiah wasn't come only to deliver us from tyrannical rule. (That time is yet to come.) Instead, our Messiah came to deliver us from a captivity more burdensome than this: He came to save us from abuse. Neglect. Illness. Sorrow. Sin. Every reprehensible occurrence, whether by our own fault or the fault of another.
At times, I've heard testimonials of those who have "accepted Christ" that seem flippant and shallow. However, for those who have truly set their mind firmly to following in the example set by that Man born in Bethlehem, they find that the experience is anything but flippant and shallow. It is, rather, a tangible experience, one that transforms us from the inside out. At times, it isn't our circumstances that change. It is us who are changed.
And we are delivered.
What's more, is that someday, whether in this life or the next, we are promised that the faithful will receive recompense for every grievance experienced in mortality. No deserved blessing will be withheld. "The Lord compensates the faithful for every loss. That which is taken away from those who love the Lord will be added unto them in His own way. While it may not come at the time we desire, the faithful will know that every tear today will eventually be returned a hundredfold with tears of rejoicing and gratitude" (Joseph B. Wirthlin).
And we are delivered.
It is my solemn and gladsome testimony at this time that "God is not dead, nor doth He sleep. The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, with peace on Earth. Goodwill toward men" (I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day). I testify that the Messiah did come, and He did deliver us. Every single one of us, whether we choose to believe it or not. Are these not the "tidings of great joy" uttered to shepherds all those years ago? Is this not the message that angels still deliver today?
We are delivered by Him who is called Wonderful, Counselor, All-Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace.
That's why Christmas is important.
