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Silent Night 2019

by Jim O'Dell

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Here is more on the story of "Silent Night", one of the great Christmas songs: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Night

Much is said in Christmas music about the Christ child. No crying he makes, he sleeps in heavenly peace, He smiles in approval at the little drummer boy. etc. We know that He without sin was not without human skin, so we know he suffered, felt pain, needed to eat and that he digested his food and felt the need to eliminate waste like we all do. So I have no doubt that the baby Jesus had tears and he had to learn how to sleep through the night.

Anyway, in the traditional song, "Silent Night", penned by Joseph Mohr almost 200 years ago, the baby Jesus sleeps in heavenly peace. It got me to thinking about some of us, who don't always sleep so good, whether the reasons are anxiety-driven insomnia, sleep apnea, etc. The same Christ child who indwells the believer through the Holy Spirit was born in a feeding trough used by animals, no doubt among dung-infested straw, and similarly, the Spirit of Christ is born in us among a lot of the filth in our hearts. The angel of God heralded the birth of Christ to the shepherds, probably the most humble of people of their day, at least by vocation. So, in the most humble of circumstances among the most humble of people, Christ comes to us.

Anyway, back to the sleep thing and the third verse which replaces the third verse of the original song for this version: Though not all of us will always have perfect sleep every night for various reasons, and some probably not ever this side of eternity, we look forward to the day when all will be made right; and as for the here and now, we know that we can have peace even amid the storms of life because the same Christ of the manger now indwells our hearts and gives us His peace.

lyrics

Verses 1 and 2 (Joseph Mohr)
Verse 3 (Jim O'Dell)
Music by Franz Gruber

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 above,
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia,
Christ the Savior is born,
Christ the Savior is born!

Silent night, holy night
We know that one day all will be made right
Though the storms of life foment and foam,
The Christ of the manger makes our hearts His home
We sleep in heavenly peace,
We sleep in heavenly peace.

credits

released December 25, 2019
Music - Franz Gruber
Lyrics - Joseph Mohr (verses 1 and 2); Jim O'Dell (verse 3)

Music written over 200 years ago in 1818! Lyrics said to have been written in 1820 by Joseph Mohr.

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Jim O'Dell Jordan, Minnesota

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