silent night and redeeming grace
Photo credit: Olaia Irigoien @oliialioli
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Silent night, holy night!
Son of God love's pure light.
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth
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“In 1816 the text to Silent Night was written by Father Joseph Mohr in Mariapfarr, Austria. The music to Silent Night was composed in 1818 by Franz Gruber. Silent Night was first played at St. Nicholas Church in Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria.” (The History of Song)
(Did you know that prior to Matthew chapter one of the New Testament, God had been silent for 400 years!! 400 years of silent nights!!!)
The story behind the life of Joseph Mohr isn’t a story of a painless or peaceful life filled with joy. The story behind his life is similar to most of our lives, one of trials and struggles, and times when it seemed that God was silent and nowhere to be found.
I have spoken to so many people lately who have said they feel God is silent right now, they question where He is in the world and in their lives, especially during the past few years.
These are not people who have little faith. These are people I know to be very strong and faithful, people who seek intimacy and relationship with God. They are sheep who would, “know their shepherds voice,” as scripture tells us.
“I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me.” (John 10:14)
Dark days is the term often used for the times when those who know the Lord feel a separation from Him. Those are the times when those of us who have felt the presence of God and His light in their lives, notice what seems to be His absence, His silence, and it feels like we are in darkness when this happens.
Mother Teresa, we now know, many, many years after her death, suffered a tremendous amount of darkness in her journey here on earth. A woman whose entire life and purpose was to serve the Lord, felt a deep, deep sense of darkness, and a prolonged period of time where she simply couldn’t see, hear, or feel God in her life.
photo credit: Jon Tyson @jontyson
In 2007, Come Be My Light, a book that collected many of her most personal and private correspondence, was published. It immediately caused sorrow and confusion in her admirers. Her letters revealed that, except for one short period, [Mother] Teresa had been afflicted with a deep sense of God’s absence for the last half-century of her life.
On hearing the news, many Christians were confused. What did Teresa’s long stay in the spiritual wilderness mean? Was she a victim of depression? Had she lost faith in God? What gave her the inner strength to carry on even when she anguished over what she felt to be God’s abandonment of her? (mother-teresa-a-saint-who-conquered-darkness)
(Are you aware, that, from the book of Malachi, the very last book of the Old Testament, to the first book of the New Testament, Matthew chapter 1, God had not spoken through a prophet, a king, a priest, no one. 400 years of silence from God!)
Where was God in the midst of her pain and darkness? Had He abandoned her?
Joseph Mohr, the lyrics writer of, Silent Night, experienced darkness in his life as well. ”He was a man whose name was unloved in his hometown of Salzburg. Mohr was one of three illegitimate sons to Anna Schoiberin, while his father, Franz, was a mercenary soldier who eventually abandoned the family. To make matters worse, Josef’s godfather was the town executioner. (the-history-behind-silent-night)
Where was God in the midst of their pain and darkness? Had He abandoned them?
It is so difficult to understand how a loving God can allow us to feel so separated from Him, and to experience such dark days and times, especially when we are seeking Him so earnestly and desperately. Honestly, we will never understand this, this side of heaven, but history has proven…
When we are down to nothing, God is always up to something.
photo credit: Gift Habeshaw @gift_habeshaw
We just have to see the little things that indicate He is still there and working on our behalf, but I will not lie, that is a challenging thing to do.
“I think this is the fight to which each of us is called every day of our lives as we question where God dwells in the midst of our deepest [darkness and ] pain.” ~Sarah Clarkson
I have personally experienced the hauntingly dark days of feeling as though God had abandoned me, that somehow I had finally messed up so much that He just could not deal with me and my sin and pride any longer.
I have had years where I felt like I was seeking Him wholeheartedly, but He was nowhere to be found. To be honest, I still feel this way about particular areas of my life. I have been praying over them for more than 10 years, and still nothing. I hear nothing from Him and have no sense of direction, but yet, I know from walking this road in the past, God is working.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
I can personally attest to the truth in Romans 8:28. As I said above, I have experienced various times throughout my walk where I could not find God anywhere. Being on the other side of those situations now, I see all He was doing in the background, and His hands were all over my life in those times.
We are promised in Isaiah 7:14, “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.” Immanuel, the name meaning God with us. We are promised that He is with us. Always, even, and especially in our darkest of days.
photo credit: RomoloTavani
Be encouraged if you are one who feels as though you cannot feel God in your life right now, or you are experiencing a period of darkness. Rest assured He is still there working things out on your behalf. It might not look like what you wanted, but you have to trust His faithfulness.
“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.”
(Proverbs 16:9)
For those who do not know the Lord, rest assured that He is still fighting for you, as 2 Peter 3:9 tells us, “ The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
Which leads me to Christmas, that silent night so many years ago when a little babe was born, born to change the world, born to bridge that gap between God and us. A baby called Immanuel, God with us, and the government and all shall be upon His shoulders.
Did you know that prior to Mathew chapter one of the New Testament, God had been silent for 400 years!! 400 years of silent nights!!!
From the book of Malachi, the very last book of the Old Testament, to the first book of the New Testament, Matthew chapter 1, God had not spoken through a prophet, a king, a priest, no one.
But was God absent during those years?
What was He doing during those years the people were in darkness?
During all those years the Israelites felt they were in darkness, God was making a way for Christmas. He was paving the way for the birth of Jesus, in order to fulfill Isaiah 9:6, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace,” and assuring there would be a way for the gospel to be heard.
Did you know that Isaiah 9:6 was written 1,000 years before Jesus? A thousand years the Israelites were waiting for the promised Messiah. God is not a God of knee jerk reaction. He is a methodical God, and he is not on our schedule in any way shape or form.
So, what exactly was God doing all those years of silence?
photo credit: Marc Schaefer @marcschaefer
Three major things happened during those 400 years that were critical to making it possible to spread the Gospel throughout the world, and in the order we are told of in Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.”
Paraphrasing from, author and speaker, Davey Blackburn, during those 400 years, God was setting the stage, much like an intermission in a play or performance where set changes occur to “set the stage” for the next scene, God was preparing the way for Jesus and the apostles to be able to spread the gospel/good news, first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles.
Blackburn reminds us that in the Old Testament, the system God put in place to be near to him was clunky and very detailed with rules and structure. It was never meant to be the final plan for people to draw near to Him. So, those 400 years of silence is where God was resetting the stage.
(This is also true in our lives, when it seems God is silent and inactive, He is busy resetting the stage for a new scene.)
Three major things that happened during those 400 years of God’s silence, were the following…
1.) The King of the Greeks, Alexander the Great, led his people in many victories. He created a vast empire that stretched from Macedonia to Egypt and from Greece to part of India, and importantly, he issued that a common language be written and spoken, Koine Greek. Everyone was required to learn Koine Greek no matter their native language. It was used as far and as wide as one could travel. (Interesting fact to note, the New Testament was originally written in Koine Greek.)
2.) The Roman Empire, the government that was oppressing God’s people the Israelites, experienced tremendous success, and massive conquering of territories. After conquering everything, they ironically issued the Pax Romana, or a state of comparative tranquility throughout the Mediterranean world and extending to North Africa and Persia. This allowed for safe travels across borders.
3.) The Romans also innovated their transportation system. The roads of ancient Rome enabled them to conquer lands, dominate peoples and defend its borders. They built very stable and strong roads and bridges to cross streams or rivers. Many of these are still crossed today. Their roads enhanced people’s ability to travel across borders. Innovative roads plus the Pax Romana made travel much easier getting from one place to another.
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400 years of silent nights, & then Jesus!
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photo credit: Austin Chan @austinchan
Jesus talks about God’s kingdom and ultimately gives up His life, dies on the cross, raises from the dead, and He called the apostles to the great commission, to the wide-spread message of The Good News of Christ, also known as the gospel.
Acts 1:7-9 we are told, Jesus replied, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After He had said this, they watched as He was taken up, and a cloud hid Him from their sight.
“If God was going to make the gospel go far and wide, what three things would need to be in place for that to happen? First, a common language. Second, safe travel. People would need to be free to travel. Third, good roads. So, an innovative system allowing for quick travel.” ~ Davey Blackburn
In those 400 years, God was setting the stage to get ready for the breakthrough of the coming Messiah.
… like Job, [and so many others] we are also called to journey into the wild reality of a broken world where evil happens, and God battles by coming into the very heart of our darkness intent upon healing. ~Sarah Clarkson
In what seems like a silent night(s), God is redeeming things through His grace.
In what seems like painfully silent and dark days and nights we must remain hopeful and trust His timing.
Coming full circle, Yes, Joseph Mohr and his mother suffered socially and financially, but in the midst of those dark years, God saw fit to provide a sort of father figure and role model for Joseph. Johann Nepomuk Hiernle, the church choirmaster, noticed Joseph’s musical abilities.
Johann made sure Joseph received an education that included learning organ, guitar, and violin. These opportunities led to Joseph choosing a future in the priesthood. Entering the priestly seminary in Salzburg at age 19. He was ordained in 1815 at 23 years of age.
Joseph wrote the text of ‘Silent Night’ (or ‘Stille Nacht’) in 1816. Health issues brought on by the harsh climate in Mariapfarr forced Mohr to return to Salzburg in 1817. After he recovered, he moved to Oberndorf, there befriending church organist Franz Xaver Gruber who was five years Mohr’s senior. Gruber was a schoolteacher in the neighboring town of Arnsdorf. It was Gruber who composed the music to Mohr’s Christmas poem.
“Stille Nacht” [Silent Night] was sung by Mohr and Gruber and performed by Gruber on guitar shortly after midnight on the morning of December 25, 1818, at the St. Nicholas Church in Oberndorf, Austria. “…the song was sung in the church room in front of the nativity scene… stillenacht.com.
photo credit: Tim Mossholder @timmossholder
God put Johann In Joseph’s life. He was working and redeeming things in what seemed like dark days.
While Mother Teresa experienced a deep sense of darkness, God was not absent. God was working in the midst of her darkness and pain. Here are just a few of the many important things she accomplished through her life, and you can see His hands over it all.
· #1 She dedicated her life to serving the poor and the sick. ...
· #2 She established the Missionaries of Charity. ...
· #3 She opened the Kalighat Home for the Dying. ...
· #4 She opened Nirmala Shishu Bhavan to take care of homeless children (mother-teresas-long-dark-night)
Today, Silent Night is perhaps the most famous Christmas carol in history. It has been translated into most languages, and the Bing Crosby version is the third-bestselling single in history. A rebuilt Silent Night Chapel in Oberndorf is now a cultural landmark (a replica can be found in Frankenmuth, Michigan). The song itself was even declared to be an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2011. (the-history-behind-silent-night)
God may be silent, but he is not absent. Matthew 1:23 says, “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
When it seems God is silent and you feel He is absent, trust his presence.
You might have a season of silent nights.
BUT…
Remember the story behind the story of Christmas…you can trust God because he literally moved heaven and earth to bring the message of his grace and his forgiveness and his presence to you.
God is with us, and God is active, even when He is silent.
References for this blog post, and suggested reading and listening…
mother-teresa-a-saint-who-conquered-darkness
meaning-behind-the-song-silent-night
