Christmas Song of the Day: O Little Town of Bethlehem


 One of the things Honey does not share about herself online is the monumental amount of patience and tolerance she exhibits every year from late November to early January concerning me and Christmas. As I documented before, I spent a great many years being a Scrooge, a Grinch, about Christmas. All of that changed around 10 years ago and I guess you could say that I’ve been making up for lost time ever since. I try to cram 38 years of not appreciating and celebrating Christmas like it was intended, into a six-ish week run at the end of the year. What does that actually “look” like? Let me just say it essentially means non-stop Christmas music from the time we wake up until after we fall asleep (I set the sleep timer so it turns off after I drift off). It looks like trying to attend every single big Christmas event from Nashville to Birmingham and everywhere in between. She tolerates it because she loves me and she knows this season is the beginning of my year — spiritually, emotionally, psychologically — and not the end of my year. Think of this as a season where I gorge myself of love, light, hope, joy, generosity, and peace, and it sustains me through the long, dark, cold winter that remains, kind of like how a bear fattens up before he hibernates. 

A huge part of this process is music. One of my favorite — and I believe most accurate -- quotes I’ve ever heard is, “Music is what feelings sound like.” Amen. The song I’ve selected for today never fails to mutually inspire and wreck me.


O little town of Bethlehem

How still we see thee lie

Above thy deep and dreamless sleep

The silent stars go by

Yet in thy dark streets shineth

The everlasting light

The hopes and fears of all the years

Are met in thee tonight

For Christ is born of Mary

And gathered all above

While mortals sleep, the angels keep

Their watch of wondering love

O morning stars together

Proclaim thy holy birth

And praises sing to God the King

And peace to men on earth

O little town of Bethlehem

How still we see thee lie

Above thy deep and dreamless sleep

The silent stars go by

Yet in thy dark streets shineth

The everlasting light

The hopes and fears of all the years

Are met in thee tonight


What is it about this song? I think it is the reminder that in the darkness and stillness, even when we are not cognizant of it, God is at work always. There are so many areas of my life where I feel that “nothing is happening.” I’ve prayed and I’ve tried and I’ve waited and it just seems like….nothing. Nothing changes, the darkness remains, there is no sign of light, but then I hear the words to this carol(?)/hymn(?) and I’m reminded, “while mortals sleep, the angels keep their watch of wondering love.” I thought of this often over the last 9 months as we waited for our brand new baby girl to be born. From the time they told us she existed until months later, there were no visible signs she was there. Just to look at her mother you couldn’t “see” anything happening, but SO much was actually occurring invisibly and quietly. Life was there and it was growing every moment of every day until it became undeniable and exploded in our faces in the form of a bright eyed and loud lunged little girl. I believe God is at work like this all around us, and this song refuses to allow me to forget that.

Ultimately, it’s the last line that brings me to my knees every single time, regardless of how many times I’ve heard it. It’s kind of like having someone tell you “I love you”. No matter how many times they’ve said it before, it’s always wonderful to hear.

The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight. The profoundness and depth of this both theologically and emotionally are frankly too great for me to comment on adequately. The best I’ve got is this. In the same way that I see my whole life, past, present, and future in the faces of my little babies (Roux, Nola, and Mardi), everything I could ever hope for and everything I’m afraid of are all brought together in the manger of the little village of Bethlehem. In that baby everything is reconciled, healed, redeemed, and made new.

Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress…The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned…For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The LORD All-Powerful will make certain that all of this is done. 

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