The Love Song of God

I heard an old, beloved Christmas carol sung a new way this past weekend. The original carol was “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear.”

This carol describes an angel chorus singing God’s message of peace on the earth and goodwill to men, but their songs fall on the deaf ears of humans so immersed in wars and strife that they can’t hear the angel songs or God’s message of peace. The new version amplifies the same message with more understandable language.

The part that got me? The new words that made my breath catch and my eyes fill?

“And man at war with man hears not

The love song which they bring

O hush the noise and cease the strife

And hear the angels sing

Glory to God in the highest

Glory to God evermore

Good news, great joy for all

Melody breaks through the silence

Christ, the Savior is born!

Jesus, the love song of God!”

Long exhale.

Jesus is the love song of God. To us. And the angels are trying to tell us. But man at war with man won’t even hear the song announcing his presence because we’re too busy. Warring. What is wrong with us?

Then our pastor talked about the gospel of John in the Bible.

Who was John?

John is named as the “beloved disciple” the one whom Jesus loved, in the New Testament of the Bible. The funny thing to me is, John likes to tell us that part – how much Jesus loved him. Cracks me up. But the truth backs it up.

John was one of the first to follow Jesus, was seated next to Jesus at the Last Supper, and was the only disciple present at the crucifixion of Jesus.

He was present for several significant events in the life of Jesus, including the Transfiguration, the healing of Jairus’s daughter, and preparation for the Last Supper. John was one of the three who went to the Garden of Gethsemane with Jesus to pray before the crucifixion, though he and the others were unable to stay awake for Jesus despite him asking them three times. OK, he wasn’t perfect, just like us.

History tells us that by the time John wrote this book, he was an old guy. All the other disciples were gone by then, and had met violent deaths because of their bold witness and faith in Christ. He’s the only one who was not martyred. So, he was in a unique position to live long enough to not only live though everything but have time to ponder the big picture and the meaning of it all. Not just the what. But the why and the how.

Thank you, John.

John’s stuff is deep. Here goes my puny brain’s attempt to explain just a piece of it.

He wrote, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14

“The Word” is Jesus, by the way. He had to “become flesh” because he chose to come here to be with us. Jesus was and is God – a part of the Trinity. He’s “the Son” in “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit”, called The Trinity and always was and always will be. And he was full of grace and truth. This was the first time it was ever explained to us that Jesus was man and God at the same time. Mind. Blown.

And… Full of grace AND truth? This is my favorite description of Jesus. He wasn’t 50% grace and 50% truth. He was 100% grace and 100% truth. He always had the right balance in his response to people and situations.

My fave example of Jesus’ perfect balance is how he dealt with the woman caught in the act of adultery (it’s in John’s eighth chapter). The Pharisees, who were the religious (and the ultimate truth people), insisted the woman be killed by stoning because the law required it.

I’m sure some merciful bystanders wanted Jesus to overlook her error. After all, we “all sin and fall short of the glory of God.” Or maybe they thought, “Meh, that’s not so bad. He was a jerk. Shouldn’t she be allowed to be happy?”

But Jesus was full of grace AND truth. He made them confront their own deficiencies by suggesting, “He who is without sin cast the first stone.” They all left. He asked the woman, “Is there no one to condemn you?” She was relieved that Jesus had rescued her and whispered, “No one, Lord.” “Then neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin.” No condemnation here but knock it off, OK?

Did you notice how Jesus offered both grace and truth?   I love this movie scene depicting the moment.

Here’s The Point For Me and You, I Think

In this stormy and divisive era, we need more Jesus followers who will try to be full of grace and truth. Are you busy shouting at others on the other side? Maybe this is you, Friend. Let’s seek a healthy balance. 

It’s Christmas! It’s the time that we celebrate the love song of God. It’s the love song of God and deserves our full attention.

And man at war with man hears not the love song which they bring.

O hush the noise and cease the strife and hear the angels sing.

Who are you warring with? Strangers with a different belief system? Family who you just can’t agree with? Is this warring keeping you too busy to hear the angel’s song – the love song of God?

No condemnation here but knock it off, OK?

Please enjoy with me the new carol, written by Chris Tomlin,  “Midnight Clear (Love Song).”

Merry Christmas!

Here’s something I wrote about showing unconditional love to your partner. It’s about truth and grace, too. Kind of the opposite of warring right?