Jesse's Christmas article

Jesse was asked to write 600 words on 'Putting Christ in Christmas' for the Stake newletter - here it is:

My favourite Christmas hymn is without a doubt Silent Night. I love this hymn for
many reasons - one of them being its connection with history. I am a history
nerd, and so I love the story of how this hymn was part of the Christmas
celebrations in World War One. I am sure that you all know the story of how, on
December the 24th 1914, enemies came together to celebrate Christmas. There
are many different versions of this story, however all of these stories involve the
singing of Silent Night. I often think of what it would have been like to be one of
those soldiers and hear the words of this hymn slowly gaining strength across
the ravaged fields that lay between the trenches.

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.

It must have calmed the rushing hearts of those young men to hear the wonder
of Christ’s coming rising through the air on wings of song. I love the way that
this hymn focuses specifically on Christ. The Christmas of 1914 held very few of
the trimmings that our society gives importance to at Christmas - there was no
roasted turkey instead it was the luxury of a rabbit stew shared with the Allies
and Germans alike. The focus was on service that could be done for either side,
not on the decorations that adorned Christmas trees. This was a time when the
western world was predominately Christian, and this hymn would have reminded
the young men who heard it of the miracles that they had learnt from childhood.
It was a reminder of the love of our Saviour in a scene which appeared to deny
all Christian values. I can easily imagine the calmness that reassurance the
soldiers would have felt from this peaceful hymn.

Silent night! Holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight!
Glories stream from heaven afar;
Heav’nly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ, the Saviour, is born!
Christ, the Saviour, is born!

I love this hymn because of the story that it tells - the story of the beginning of a
pivotal stage in the plan of salvation. It signals a coming of miracles and a
coming of redemption for mankind. I like to imagine, and indeed, join in the joy
that must have been felt in that Bethlehem field as the angels announced the
coming of the Saviour. I think of the sight seen by those shepherds and the
excitement that they must have felt, and I know that their joy was not about the
presents that would come or the celebrations that would come. Rather their joy
was about the redemption of the world. I like to think about the experience of the
shepherds in Bethlehem and the soldiers in 1914, who chose to turn their
attention to the Saviour and the love of our Father in Heaven who sent his only
begotten as Saviour of the world.

My favourite verse is definitely the last, it reads:

Silent night! Holy night!
Son of God, love’s pure light
Radiant beams from thy holy face,
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth;
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.

This verse places emphasis on Christ as the redeemer of the world. The birth of
Jesus Christ, heralded by both angels and a new star, was indeed a miracle;
however it pales in comparison to the miracle that was to come with His
atonement. I love to sing the hymns of Christmas and participate in the nativities
and other festivities; I love the talks that are presented in sacrament meetings
that surround Christmas. However at times the clamour of the worldly trappings
become too much and it is then that I love to think of this hymn, and its meaning
in order to bring Christ to Christmas.