"Broken Silence"

“Broken Silence”

 

In 1814 Joseph Mohr, the son of a single mother in Austria, was ordained to the priesthood. Assigned to a parish in a small town he soon met a musician named Franz Gruber and the two became good friends. During the Christmas season in 1818 Mohr made a pastoral visit to a mother and her infant child which reminded him of Jesus’ birth. On that day he wrote a poem and asked his friend Gruber to put it to music. Since the church’s organ was broken it was sung for the first time at the Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve with guitar accompaniment. 200 years later it’s still sung in churches all over the world—we know it as “Silent Night”.

That first Christmas night probably started out quietly but once God began working the silence was broken and it became pretty noisy. How so? To begin with, Mary may have cried out with the pain of childbirth and soon after His birth Jesus’ cries were likely heard. And don’t forget the terror of the shepherds when the light from Heaven pierced the darkness of that night—could they have shrieked with fear? Then after the angel’s announcement that “…a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11) the angelic host lifted their voices in praise to God (Luke 2:14). Not only was the silence of that night broken but the events surrounding that first Christmas brought to an end “the silent period” when God again spoke 400 years after the close of the Old Testament.

Over the past few decades we’ve bemoaned the secularization of the Advent Season due to political correctness. We’ve remained quiet while society has chipped away at any reference to Jesus’ birth and impact lest people be offended (but offending God’s people seems to be OK). Maybe it’s time for us to break our silence. How? Here are a couple of suggestions: say “Merry Christmas” at every opportunity (even if another “holiday greeting” is expressed to us); send cards emphasizing the meaning of the day we’re celebrating; use decorations conveying what it’s all about; pray for many to understand that Jesus came to fulfill God’s purpose to “…seek and to save what was lost.” (Luke 19:10).

Enjoy singing the beautiful carol “Silent Night” (and many others) but remember that God broke His silence through His Son’s birth.

Grace and Blessings!

Jim McMillan