The Twelve Blogs of Christmas (10)

This is number ten in what will hopefully be a twelve part series of blogs before Christmas (assuming I can get a blog a day in during my vacation time - woohoo!) relating life to lyrics from holiday songs and trying to be way more profound than I really have any right to be. Heh heh. Just kidding, here's your quick links for Parts One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, and Nine.

Part Ten: When blossoms flowered 'mid the snow upon a winter's night, 'twas born a child...

I really couldn't tell you the name of this song. I think it's more of a medley type song where they added a cool lyrical intro to "Oh Come All Ye Faithful". I sang it in choir in junior high or high school and my steel trap mind has a penchant for recalling the lyrics. In fact I'll even write out the lyrics that I remember because it's really pretty but for reasons soon to be revealed I want to focus on the lyric above. Here's the total song:

When blossoms flowered 'mid the snow upon a winter's night
Twas born a child the Christmas rose, The King of Love and Light!
The angels sang, the shepherds sang, the grateful earth rejoiced!
And at His blessed birth, the stars - their exhaltaion voiced:
Venite Adoremus, Venite Adoremus, Venite Adoremus Dominus!*
(*Latin translation of O Come Let Us Adore Him, Christ the Lord!)

Isn't that pretty? I wish I could sing it for you but (1) I'm talking to you via computer and (2) my singing might ruin the previous assertion of it being pretty. ;) Anyways, I wanted to bring up this song because the line "upon a winter's night 'twas born a child" seemed very appropriate in that as of yesterday, I have a new nephew! Talk about a great Christmas present - the miracle of life!

Sitting in the hospital holding that little baby, I couldn't help but think about the Christmas miracle. God - infinite, powerful and amazing - coming to Earth as a tiny infant, fully limited but fully God is a miracle indeed. I mean, have you ever really thought about how helpless babies are? They rely on others for everything - except maybe sleep, they do that pretty well on their own (...sometimes). But why would God, who could easily appear as a full grown human and avoid the poopy diapers, terrible twos, and awkward hormonal teenage angst years with the snap of a finger choose to take the form of a newborn child? I could give you all the churchy answers here: He needed to be seen as fully human; He needed to come into the world the same way as everyone else; by appearing as a baby His innocence was emphasized; the miracle of birth is God's greatest accomplishment; and blah blah blah. Not that they aren't good answers, but here's a different one to swallow.

God needed human love. How was Christ to survive as a baby if He wasn't nurtured? Sure the gold, frankincense and myrrh were AMAZING GIFTS but I imagine what Jesus wanted most on that first Christmas was to be near his mother. I bet He loved the adoration of the shepherds and the singing of the angels, but more than that, maybe He just wanted to be wrapped in loving arms and to have soothing words of comfort whispered in His ear. I know at this time of year churches fill to overflowing and many of them tell everyone who'll listen, "you need Jesus" but think just for a moment that perhaps Jesus needs you. The same way my new nephew wants to be held and swaddled, loved and cherished; The King of Love and Light, The Christmas Rose wants to be held. And loved. And cherished... by you.