Though the town of Bethlehem may have been relatively quiet when Jesus was born, it was probably not silent. Crowds of weary travelers were constantly arriving to be counted in the census. They walked the streets searching for places to stay, grumbling as they were turned away from the inn. Tired children whined, women with aching feet complained. And even in the stable where Mary and Joseph took refuge, the donkeys and cows would have continued to produce a variety of grunts and snorts.
Mohr's song speaks not of a natural silence. It captures a moment of peace, a holy hush that surely settled over Bethlehem as all of heaven viewed with wonder the birth of God/Man. The Potter had entered into the clay that he himself had made, and he now rested in the arms of his own creation.
REFLECTION
Because the Christmas season is so hectic and rushed, we often find it difficult to identify with the "holy hush" of that night. But Scripture implores us to make a practice of pausing from our daily routine--in all seasons--to wait upon God and listen for his still small voice. As Fredrick William Faber once explained, "When ever the sounds of the world die out in the soul, or sink low, then we hear the whisperings of God."
The Lord is wonderfully good to those who wait for him and seek him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord. Lamentations 3:25-26
I am counting on the Lord; yes, I am counting on him. I have put my hope in his word.
Psalm 130:5
Be silent, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world. Psalm 46:10
Prayer
Lord, I invite your Spirit to come upon me and calm my busy mind. Quiet my heart as I wait before you. In the silence let me hear you. In the stillness let me know you. Open my eyes that I may see your glory and receive the grace you have extended to me today.
Because the Christmas season is so hectic and rushed, we often find it difficult to identify with the "holy hush" of that night. But Scripture implores us to make a practice of pausing from our daily routine--in all seasons--to wait upon God and listen for his still small voice. As Fredrick William Faber once explained, "When ever the sounds of the world die out in the soul, or sink low, then we hear the whisperings of God."
The Lord is wonderfully good to those who wait for him and seek him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord. Lamentations 3:25-26
I am counting on the Lord; yes, I am counting on him. I have put my hope in his word.
Psalm 130:5
Be silent, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world. Psalm 46:10
Prayer
Lord, I invite your Spirit to come upon me and calm my busy mind. Quiet my heart as I wait before you. In the silence let me hear you. In the stillness let me know you. Open my eyes that I may see your glory and receive the grace you have extended to me today.
(Christ in the Carols Thirty one devotionals for Christmas By Christopher & Melodie Lane)
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