This year, I wanted to post a kind of music curation each weekend after Thanksgiving leading up to Christmas on some of my favorite Christmas songs, but, med school final exams got in the way, and so I’ve decided to instead post some of them as a Christmas treat.
The first is Silent Night, a classic Christmas song. It’s one of my favorites because it reminds me of Christmas Eve candlelight services, of being together with my family to celebrate and remember the life-changing night that Jesus was born on this Earth over 2000 years ago.
No other song reminds me of the holy beauty of Christ’s birth like O Holy Night at Christmastime. The words His name is love and His gospel is peace say it all.
What else says Christmas like songs aptly titled The Christmas Song, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, and I’ll Be Home for Christmas? When I was younger, I sang in children’s choirs, and we’d always have Christmas concerts for our families and the community during this time of year. These songs fondly remind me of those times, especially the indescribable atmosphere that surrounded us during our Christmas concerts.
It’s so easy to forget the reason for the Christmas season with the commercialized element of Christmas constantly thrown at us from every direction. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing serves as a heavenly reminder to me of who Jesus is, and why He came down to Earth to save us.
When I was younger, O Come, O Come Emmanuel wasn’t my favorite Christmas song by any means. The music seemed brooding, and I never really took time to listen to the lyrics. Now, I’m able to appreciate the words and music together – the music starts out quite haunting, yet ends in a glorious reprise, reminding us of our own plights as God’s children. Before Christ, we are all lost in sin; but when we accept Him as our Lord and Savior, our lives can continue in glorious victory through Jesus’ sacrifice.
A child has been born to us;
God has given a son to us.
He will be responsible for leading the people.
His name will be Wonderful Counselor, Powerful God,
Father Who Lives Forever, Prince of Peace. (NCV)
Isaiah 9:6
Merry Christmas!