I have never been an enthusiastic fan of Christmas carols or Christmas music in general.

I don’t have any all consuming reason or compelling story to justify my feelings.  It’s just the way it is.

This year though, for reasons not entirely understood or analyzed on my part, I have been experiencing bouts of genuine affection for certain classic Christmas songs and hymns.  I’ve been hearing and reading their lyrics with different ears and different eyes.

Especially the really old songs.  It’s kind of as if I have never heard these words before.

One, written nearly three hundred years ago, has been on my mind and has been quick to be sung in my thoughts as I go about my Christmas time living.

The lyrics say,

Come, thou long expected Jesus,
born to set thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us,
let us find our rest in thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation,
hope of all the earth thou art;
dear desire of every nation,
joy of every longing heart.

You guys.  I don’t even know.  I mean, those are not just Christmas lyrics.  Those are LIFE lyrics.

Born to set thy people free?

Isn’t that what we need?  What I want?  The literal longing of my actual heart?

From our fears and sins release us – let us find our rest in thee.

Yes.  Yes.  And all the yeses.

Come, thou long expected Jesus.

Words that could be sung waiting for a savior to appear more than two thousand yeas ago.

Words that could be sung in 2017 waiting for a savior to appear.

It is the thrill of hope – a weary world rejoices.

 

____________________________