Merry Christmas! Tonight at my church we sang one of my all time favorite Christmas songs, “O Holy Night”. It was so beautiful and reminded me of the miraculous, holy birth of Christ. There was one line in particular that always stands out to me that I think we tend to forget or not really think about what we’re singing. That is the phrase in the third verse (my favorite verse) in which we sing, “And in His name, all oppression shall cease” In the name of Jesus Christ, all oppression will no longer exist! Praise God! However, this isn’t always reflected by us followers of Christ. Looking back in history, we see over and over again people who claim to be Christians using the name of Jesus and the Bible to justify oppression, instead of ending it. When we as Christians don’t love, don’t strive for peace and justice, and don’t fight for an end to oppression, we are not fully living out the mission of Christ. I hope you and those you love have a very Merry Christmas and that you remember that holy night that changed the world, the night which brought us our Savior and Messiah. A Savior that brought peace, love, joy, and shall end oppression. Let us strive to honor Christ not just tomorrow on Christmas, but every day! Honoring God in the way we treat people and the world around us. To finish this short, last minute post, I encourage you to read and pray the third verse of “O Holy Night”:
Truly He taught us to love one another
His law is love and His gospel is peace
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother
And in His name, all oppression shall cease
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we
Let all within us praise His holy name
radiant and unashamed 