Joy

The First Noel

I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. Psalm 146: 2

I love Christmas carols. There is a purity to them that is moving and joyous. The melodies are gently harmonious and the words uplifting. You cannot listen to a Christmas carol without smiling or feeling your heart swell or your eyes tear up with joy, at least I can’t.

Christmas carols emphasize the hope that came into the world with the birth of Christ. They paint vivid pictures of the magnificence of God’s love and his ability to touch the lowborn and the highborn.

Everyone can relate to the Christ child, from the first wondrous moment when a baby sees a candle flicker on Christmas night to the oldster who is lighting it as a symbol of Jesus, the light of the world.

It is easy to get caught up in the ritual of Christmas and in the secular buying craze that goes on. We put emphasis on giving and getting rather than celebrating the lowly birth that would forever change the world.

Christmas carols call us back and remind us that angels proclaimed the coming of the Lord and told shepherds where to find the babe. Kings traveled for weeks in foreign lands to reach the humble place of Christ’s birth. Carols remind us of the true meaning of the holiday.