God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen,
Let nothing you dismay;
Remember Christ, our Saviour,
Was born on Christmas day,
To save us all from Satan's power
When we’re gone astray.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy,
O tidings of comfort and joy.
We don’t
often consider the words of songs we hear over and over again. Unless we are assigned the task of study, we
accept the lyrics as is without much thought.
It’s about familiarity and tradition, not so much contemplating the
deeper meaning in what we sing when it comes to songs sung year after
year. For me, this year has been one of contemplation,
an honest effort to answer a single question: Where is God in all this?
Rather than recording the juicy
details of this past year (and they have been rather sumptuous,) I would like
to summarize my findings to this inquiry as a Christmas greeting. It is not so much an answer as it is a
culminating feeling experienced when seeking, one in which I believe binds us
all together. We may live in different
places. We may not look or think the same way.
But one thing is true of all of us: we seek connection, long to be
loved. And as humans, we all feel the same emotions. Fear. Courage.
Regret. Pride. Sorrow. Joy. Confusion. Clarity. The circumstance by which we encounter such
feelings may differ, but the feeling “is what it is,” regardless.
This Christmas, I feel it is my
duty, as the one often labeled as “over-emotional” to reflect on how we feel
about the world around us. Close and far
away. Familiar or completely foreign to
our way of life. I ask that we do what
God does for each of us, in our ugliness and our most fabulous: love one
another.
I’ve had many highlights in my life. One occurred when I lived in Los Angeles and
shook hands with Stevie Wonder. It was
late, I was alone and had no one to share my enthusiastic glee at having
met one of my heroes. His song, “Love’s
In Need” is my comfort and joy to sing, and in light (or darkness, depending on
your worldview) of the state of the world today, I’d like to share these lyrics
in the hope – which I hold onto in remembrance of the promise in Christ – that
we would enter the new year with these words on our hearts and minds in each personal
interaction, whether we agree with the person or not.
We must return to the singular commonality that we all
share: We are human. We’re fragile. We fall short. Despite our best intentions, we completely fail: as a national legal system, as a local
government, as an educational institution, as individuals. Though we are imperfect, we can, at any time,
access the most perfect freedom from all failings when we go where God is by
responding with LOVE. Please, in the
name of all that is good and right in the world, choose love this year. For a refresher course in this life saver,
see Corinthians 13.
Now, then – pull out your old record
player, or click on YouTube, search for the melody (lyrics below,) and
sing along with Stevie! Have a very, merry
Christmas and a loving New Year.
Love’s In Need of Love
By Stevie Wonder
Good morn or evening
friends
Here's your friendly
announcer
I have serious news to
pass on
To everybody
What I'm about to say
Could mean the world's
disaster
Could change your joy
and laughter
To tears and pain
It's that love's in
need of love today
Don't delay, send yours
in right away
Hate's goin' 'round,
breakin' many hearts
Stop it please, before
it's gone too far
The force of evil plans
To make you its
possession
And it will if we let
it
Destroy everybody
We all must take
Precautionary measures
If love and peace you
treasure
Then you'll hear me
when I say
Oh that, love's in need
of a love today
(Love's in need of love
today)
Don't delay
(Don't delay)
Send yours in right
away
(Right away)
Hate's goin' 'round
Breakin' hearts
Stop it, please
Gone too far
Love's in need
Of love today
Don't delay
Send yours in right away
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