Silent Night
Merry Christmas y’all. I love this
time of year so much. I always have. However, I’ll admit that in recent years I
haven’t felt as much Christmas magic as before. I don’t spend my time wondering
how Santa will manage to get around the world in a single night. I don’t anxiously ask
my mom how he will get into our house without a chimney. I can’t even remember
the last time I put out cookies for the big guy or oats for his reindeer and I
no longer check the snow for sleigh tracks.
However, since the moment in 3rd grade when I actively
searched the encyclopedia (not even Wikipedia but a straight up World Book) for
details about St. Nick only to find the lurking word “myth” next to his name, I
have tried to turn my curiosity into an annual period of retrospection. I try
to think about the symbolism of this blessed holiday and what Jesus Christ’s
birth really means to me.
This is my first holiday season
back from Brazil and my little sister leaves in two short weeks for her own
mission, so it has been especially good to be with my family. I have also been
able to think about my last two Christmases as I was far from family, friends,
and everything comfortable. Last year I was in this teeny little house in
Cotia, Sao Paulo with three other missionaries. In an effort to keep the spirit
of the season alive, we got a little tree and decorated it with our badges.
Christmas Eve we all gathered around the tree and together we read about
Christ’s birth straight from Luke. We shared our testimonies of our Savior,
Jesus Christ, sang a few Christmas hymns, said a simple prayer and went to sleep. I can honestly say that there was nothing materialistic about
that night. It was simple to the core. Yet, it was one of my most sacred, holy,
silent nights.
Since that night I have thought
about the life of Jesus Christ. He went about doing good, yet was despised and
rejected for it. By nature of his calling, he indeed had a lot of really lonely
moments. In particular, I have given thought to three silent, holy nights.
First, during this season, it is
only proper to bring up his humble birth. His young, faithful mother gave birth
to the Christ child in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn.
Every other more suitable location closed their doors. That night turned out to be quite indicative
of the His entire mortal ministry as later people would not only continue to close their doors, but also their hears
and minds to the eternal truths he labored to share. He received only the most
humble of visitors, but he probably would not have wanted it any other way. He
went on to spend his life serving those precious souls who were able to see Him
for what He was: a miracle and the literal first-born of our Heavenly Father.
Eventually, wise men made their way over to visit the baby bringing their
sacrifices. They were simply trying to worship as they could and more than
anything else, they were giving of their time and giving with their hearts. Wise
men still seek him.
The second silent, holy night I
would like to highlight is one that I believe sums up His entire mission
pretty nicely. That particular night the Savior was giving a sermon when he was
visited by his mother and brothers. When the messenger brought word of the family visit He did not leave to greet them but rather stayed and continued teaching. At that moment His audience was his family and His greatest priority. Jesus did not simply forget about the people He loved the very most. He knew He would
probably end up spending that night, like so many others during his life,
alone. He most likely craved a familiar, loving face. However, since the
beginning, He understood a really important principle: He was on the Father’s
errand, not His own. As such, His time was not His own. That knowledge let Him
to serve with all of His heart, mind and soul.
The last silent, holy night of
Christ’s life occurred as he humbly knelt at the garden of Gethsemane. He had
been betrayed, mocked, and scourged. Yet, there he knelt weeping for
forgiveness for the sins of the world. He bled from every pore. He suffered
more pain than we can even imagine. And He did it all selflessly. He did it all
for us. He knew that many would not
accept the blood He freely shed. Yet, He did it regardless.
It seems only fitting that we take
some time out of our busy lives to give tribute to the birth, life, death and
resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ, and I am grateful that we get to do so
every year with family, trees, lights, hot chocolate, movies
, presents and
nativities. He is the reason for the season and I love Him.
