Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence

I love Christmas carols, especially the sacred songs. My favorites are O Come, O Come Emmanuel; What Child is This?; O Holy Night. I like these because they seem to exude the heritage of the season - our connection to generation after generation of persevering saints; waiting patiently - and sometimes impatiently - for the fulfillment of God's glorious promise.

He would send a Messiah; a Savior to rescue us from ourselves. Five hundred years of heavenly silence preceded the Christ-child's earthly arrival. Five hundred years without an encouraging word. Years of oppression for God's Chosen People. Years of uncertainty and second-guessing. Maybe it was just an old wives' tale. Maybe we're just fooling ourselves. Maybe, maybe...

And then the moment; recognised by most in hindsight, but by a few, hand-picked servants immediately. Labor pains. A bed of straw. Eternal moments for Mary and her new husband as they struggle together through the wonderful and terrible process of birth.

He was here. Ten fingers and ten toes. A perfect baby boy. Truly perfect, the first and last child to be precisely that. The virgin sings a lullaby. God becomes flesh and dwells among us.

What about this miracle is NOT sacred, I ask you? What about it is not a little melancholy? Born to die. Born to take on the punishment of the whole human race. Born to be the sacrifice for the sins of Leslie Elizabeth Foster. Born for me. And you.

Last Sunday we sang this hymn, which is believed to date back to the 1st century AD. To think that people who actually walked with Christ may have sung this hymn, along with me and the congregation of Blanchard Alliance Church. All of us connected through centuries of triumph and failure, spiritual drought and overwhelming times of revival. They, awaiting Christ's coming; we, awaiting His return. Bound by bonds of Love to the One who gave all for us.

This carol says it all. Mortal flesh all; Christ deserves our allegiance, our shouting with joy, and our silence. We owe Him our somber, reverent silence as well.

May you make time to sit before your King in silence this Advent season. No other offering than your time and your adoration.

Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence

Let all mortal flesh keep silence,
And with fear and trembling stand;
Ponder nothing earthly minded,
For with blessing in His hand,
Christ our God to earth descendeth,
Our full homage to demand.

King of kings, yet born of Mary,
As of old on earth He stood,
Lord of lords, in human vesture,
In the body and the blood;
He will give to all the faithful
His own self for heavenly food.

Rank on rank the host of heaven
Spreads its vanguard on the way,
As the Light of light descendeth
From the realms of endless day,
That the powers of hell may vanish
As the darkness clears away.

At His feet the six wingèd seraph,
Cherubim with sleepless eye,
Veil their faces to the presence,
As with ceaseless voice they cry:
Alleluia, Alleluia
Alleluia, Lord Most High!