One of my favorite things to do this time of year is to sit by the Christmas tree. It is the centerpiece of the room. It’s tall and strong and green – the color of new life. It is bright and beautiful, peaceful and joyous. It radiates enough light to fill an otherwise dark room. Occasionally, I catch myself lost in the magic of the tree. I just sit there and stare in awe of its wonder.
A few carols I deem as favorites; a few I’d be happy to skip. The quiet and sort of repetitive tune of “O Christmas Tree” prompted me to skip it in years past. Its melody rang through the speakers the other day and I paused to listen carefully. For the first time, I was struck by the lyrics:
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Thy leaves are so unchanging;
O Christmas Tree!
O Christmas Tree!
Thy leaves are so unchanging;
Not only green when summer's here,
But also when 'tis cold and drear.
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Thy leaves are so unchanging!
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Much pleasure thou can'st give me;
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Much pleasure thou can'st give me;
How often has the Christmas tree
Afforded me the greatest glee!
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Much pleasure thou can'st give me.
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Thy candles shine so brightly!
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Thy candles shine so brightly!
From base to summit, gay and bright,
There's only splendor for the sight.
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Thy candles shine so brightly!
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
How richly God has decked thee!
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
How richly God has decked thee!
Thou bidst us true and faithful be,
And trust in God unchangingly
.
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
How richly God has decked thee! !"
“That’s Jesus!”, I loudly proclaimed (alone in my apartment). He is unchanging. He is the same in the good times and the bad. He is love. He is joy. He is the light in the darkness.
The recent tragedies at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT and in my own life make this image all the more powerful. Both tragedies are horrible, unspeakable even. My mom was an elementary school teacher. I can't imagine if that had happened at her school. I became a victim of gun violence when I was nine years old and my aunt was killed in a random drive by shooting. I know the heartbreak of losing someone you love so deeply, so suddenly. (Thankfully, I do not know what it is like to lose a child and hope I am forever spared from that pain). I grieve for my own loss and for the horrible loss in Connecticut. I mourn with the rest of the nation. I have no idea why God did not stop these tragedies from happening. I ask that question on a daily basis. But, what I do know is that God is love and hope and strength and peace. He does not change. He is the light in the darkness.
On more than one occasion over the course of Friday and the days that have followed, I’ve heard “How sad that this happened so close to Christmas!” I agree. The children, families and town are supposed to be experiencing the joy and the magic of the season. Evil crept in and stole that away from them. But, God overcomes evil. And, reminders of Christ (Christmas trees) are present within our homes and spread throughout the land. God's heart breaks, too, but He has welcomed those no longer here on earth. It may be hard to see, but God is with us in deep grief.
Even in the darkness, He shines the brightest light.
I will turn the darkness into light before them
and make the rough places smooth.
These are the things I will do;
I will not forsake them.
and make the rough places smooth.
These are the things I will do;
I will not forsake them.
Isaiah 42:16
I googled whether the Christmas tree was intended to be a symbol of Christ and there was a bunch of conflicting information. Since having my own realization about this, I will forever think of Christ when I look at the tree regardless of whether that was its intended meaning.
No comments:
Post a Comment