“A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks
A new and glorious morn”
I woke up Christmas Eve morning when I was thirteen to the news that my grandfather had died and my mom had gone to be with her mom. My siblings and I were shocked and devastated. My sister asked, “Will we still have Christmas?” My little brother asked, “Will Santa still come?” This was supposed to be a time of joy and yet we were experiencing the first death of someone close to us. Our father assured us we would still celebrate Christmas.
Our family was to light the Advent wreath at our church’s Christmas Eve service and my younger sister was to sing a solo rendition of O Holy Night. So, we dressed in our Christmas finery and headed to church. What better place to be than surrounded by our church family amid such tremendous grief. I remember looking out into the congregation while reading the wreath lighting liturgy to see my mom, dressed in jeans and a raincoat, but present to worship with us and hear my sister sing.
Yes, Christmas would go on. Just as the Grinch discovered, “He hadn’t stopped Christmas from coming, it came. Somehow or other, it came just the same.”(Seuss, 1957) Not even death could stop Christmas from coming. The Christ child is born. God enters this weary world anew once again each Christmas whether we are ready or not, whether we are grieving and missing a loved one, whether we feel like celebrating or not. O Holy Night is still my favorite Christmas hymn. It reminds me that “Christ is the Lord.” No matter what is going on in my life or in the world that is cause for despair, “yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.”
Prayer: Savior of the world, thank you for this holiest of nights when we are reminded that you are breaking into this weary world once again to gift us with “a thrill of hope” and “sweet hymns of joy.” Let all within us praise your holy name. Amen.
Kathryn McGregor