Have you ever sung a song for a long time, only to learn
that you had the lyrics wrong? Writer Deborah
Patterson asked people to send her Christmas songs they or their children had
badly misunderstood. Here are a few Christmas
songs gone wrong from her collection.
~ He’s making a list, of chicken and rice.
~ Dashing through the snow, on a one-horse soap and
hay…
~ Round John Virgin,
mother and child…
~ Later on, we’ll perspire, as we drink by
the fire…
~ Get dressed, ye married gentlemen…
~ See the grazing mule before us, fa la la
la la la la la la…
~ Olive, the other
reindeer, used to laugh and call him names…
~ Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel …Barney’s the king of
Israel…
Most of us have been repeating the song the angels sang
to the shepherds since we were very young, but the truth is, most of us don’t
have the message quite right. And in
getting this song wrong, we’ve missed the path to peace.
Most of us quote the angel song in the words of the King
James Version,
(Luke 2:14b) And
on earth peace, good will toward men.
That’s a perfectly good translation, but it doesn’t
clearly express the meaning of the Greek words it translates.
The way it reads, we often take it to mean, “Let there be peace on
earth and all of you good folks practice good will toward other people.”
That’s not a bad message.
I could vote for it, but it misses the life-changing power of the words
the angels proclaimed that first Christmas night. I believe the New International Version comes much closer to this verse's true meaning,
(Luke 2:14b) And
on earth peace to those on whom (God’s) favor rests.
Peace comes to those who realize God is for them, God
loves them, God sent Jesus to save them, and let that truth rest upon them, find
a home in their hearts.
A week ago, we celebrated my
Andrew’s 26th birthday, so he’s been on my mind lately. I remember when he was only a day or two old,
I went to the hospital nursery to bring him to Linda in her room. You may know the pride you feel when you
drive a new car through your neighborhood.
You want to take the long way home and wave at everyone as you drive
by. I felt that and much more as I
pushed Andrew’s plexiglas bassinet down the hospital hallway. I wanted everyone to see my baby boy. The route from the nursery to Linda’s room
passed through a stairwell, a great building design achievement. Going through the doorway of the stairwell
into Linda’s hallway, the bassinet bumped across a metal threshold. This sudden bump startled little Andrew and
he began to cry. He was, after all, a
little tiny nine-pound, twelve-ounce baby. I talked to him as we rolled down
the hall, but he wasn’t listening. He
was afraid and letting the world know. As
we came through the doorway of Linda’s hospital room, I was greeted by that new
mama look that said, in all caps, “Dee, what have you done to my
baby?” I didn’t answer that glare,
because there was no acceptable answer. But
what happened next, I’ll never forget. I
reached down and placed my big old hand on Andrew’s little back and ever so
gently rubbed it. In an instant, he
stopped crying and was at peace. Linda
and I looked at each other in amazement, as though I’d fed five thousand with
one hospital tray or parted the cars outside to find a parking place. The moment Andrew felt his father’s hand
resting upon him, his distress turned to peace.
That, I believe, is a picture of what must happen to us
to find peace. Life’s bumpy ride
frightens us. We feel helpless to do
anything about it. But then, if we open
our hearts to God, His grace, His saving love, His favor rests upon us like a
strong loving hand. And when we feel the
touch of grace and know we are His, our distress becomes peace.
Peace comes when the seed of grace God has sown upon the
world takes root and grows within your heart.
When you believe what the angel said, that the good news
is for you.
When you realize that Jesus came into the world to be your
Savior.
May God's grace, brought to earth and to life through Jesus, find a home in your heart--and give you peace.
