Silent night, Holy night. All is calm. All is bright.
To think that the night that the Saviour of the world was born was anything less than boisterous would be a bit of an understatement. Giving birth during normal circumstances is loud and messy. The labor pains last for hours and intensify until hard labor is reached and it’s time to push. Grunts & wails of exhaustion fill the room, and just as the mother is ready to give up, the exhaustion and pain are replaced with exhilaration and jubilation. Tears of joy stream down her face, and even laughter escapes her quivering lips as she hears the cries of her newborn baby. As I write this post, even at this very moment, I’m listening to the cries of a newborn who has come for a visit with his mama. That cry pierces through the quiet and commands attention.
Now, imagine the night of Jesus’ birth. Bethlehem was so crowded at the time that Mary and Joseph had to hunker down in a stable on the outskirts of town surrounded by sheep, who were also notoriously noisy. Then there are the shepherds. As they watched the sheep in the fields, they were visited by “a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.'” So then the shepherds immediately left their fields and went to investigate what the angel had told them: that they would find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger. They arrived quickly (sheep in tow, I’d imagine) and saw just as the angels told them they would and were filled with joy and amazement! They were definitely not silent as they made their return to the fields, telling everyone they came in contact with along the way what they saw and heard. They continued to glorify and praise God!
Silent night? Where did the hymn writer ever get that idea?
But then it hit me. The Bible says that in the midst of all that was happening, “Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.” What a beautiful posture and example for us even today. We can get so caught up in the busyness of Christmas and family and traditions and stress ourselves out. If that’s you this year, not just at Christmas but throughout the year, may I suggest turning down the noise for a minute and pondering in your heart the truth of Christ’s arrival over 2000 years ago in a stable on a not-so-silent night. His life, His light makes all things calm and all things bright.
That is the hope we rest on here in our ministry. The world and Satan love to turn the dial up on the noise and use fear as a way to manipulate women into choosing abortion. We want each woman who comes to our clinic to first feel the comfort and peace of the presence of God. We pray every day and ask for others to pray for their nerves to be calm and for the anxiety they may have to be relaxed as they receive the truth about their options and see the undeniable humanity of their unborn child. As we continue to walk alongside them through their pregnancy and parenting journies, we also want to give them space to meditate on their hopes and dreams for their future and the future of their child(ren). It’s such a blessing and privilege to see joy and peace return where once chaos and pain ruled.
If you want to get involved in the work that God is doing through the Hope House, please visit partnersforlives.org/get-involved to find your place. And we pray that you and your families have a very Merry Christmas and, of course, a silent night.