Christmas Eve

This night

Joy to the world, the Lord is come,

Let earth receive her king. Isaac Watts

Luke 2:10—14

Christmas Eve. So it is Christmas Eve. It is time for me to listen. It is time for me to listen with the shepherds, to listen along with them to the angels. And I will hear the angels address me as well. And they will sing, ‘To you is born a Saviour. In the city of David.’ To me. Not only to Mary, this birth. To me. Which I take to be for me. For me. I think it is quite unavoidable. This only needs to be so. It only needs to be true and all I can do is to join in the choir. All I can do is join in the song.

Glory, O God in the highest. This night of all nights. This night, the night to listen. This night to stop. To hear from heaven above the grumbling earth. To hear from angels a song from beyond the groaning streets. To hear peace pronounced. And I must turn, stop, turn and listen, or I will not hear that. I will only hear conflict, and be caught in it. But peace, peace among those who have found your favour: I do not need to strain my ears to hear this ‘peace’; nor do I need stir my efforts. More, this night — this is the gift of it — more do I need something like surrender. Surrender to this gift. This child has been born to me. And, of course, I need to believe. I need that. It is the Saviour who has been born to me. Glory to God in the highest.