Christmas Through the Generations

Christmas music, the good and real stuff at least, has a way of lifting weary hearts. If you take a look at Christmas hymns, especially the lesser known ones with old English and odd or off-putting names (Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silent!) they are deeply stirring in the way they capture heartache and sorrow along with hope and joy.

They take you from the joy of creation to the depths of despair in our sin and again to the hope and promise of new life in Jesus. For example, take just the first verse from “The Race That Long In Darkness Pined”. Likely new to you but actually written in 1781, it covers a remarkable sweep of scripture:

“The race that long in darkness pined,

Have seen a glorious light;

The people dwell in day, who dwelt

In death’s surrounding night.”

One of my favorite things to do the past few advent seasons has been to search online for old Christmas hymns. Some are still in circulation, others vaguely familiar, but many others are tragically forgotten.

There is something beautiful to finding words penned long ago about our Savior that still stir up the heart and mind all these years later. Joining in a chorus of praise that spreads across centuries helps us bear witness to the continued goodness and faithfulness of God.

Take some time and do a Google search for “Christmas hymns” and dig around for a while to immerse yourself in words of praise that have honored Christ’s birth for generations. I think that the cloud of witnesses that surrounds us is waiting for us to join them in this little way.