Day 22: O Come All Ye Faithful

by Dec 22, 2020Christmas 2020, Devotional, Songs of Christmas

 

O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant
O come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem

O come and behold Him, born the King of Angels

O come, let us adore Him
Christ the Lord

O sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation
O come, o come ye to Bethlehem

O Come and behold Him, born the King of Angels

O come, let us adore Him
Christ the Lord

Born the King of Angels

O come, let us adore Him
Christ the Lord

O come all ye faithful to Bethlehem

 

Ieagerly gazed out the plane’s window at the miniature-looking scene below.  Snow blanketed the fields and tiny farms beneath me creating a winter wonderland.

As the plane descended in preparation for landing, my heart beat faster.  It had been months since I had seen my family, and I couldn’t wait to be home for Christmas.  The house would be decorated, Christmas cookies would be waiting, and my favorite home-cooked meals would be on the menu.

I was in my mid-20s at the time, living and working on the East Coast, far away from my family who lived in Iowa.  So I savored this journey home every year, grateful for modern travel that allowed me to spend the holiday with those I loved.

Travel is often a part of the Christmas season, whether flying out of state to get home for the holidays or driving across town for Christmas brunch at Grandma’s.

The hymn “O Come All Ye Faithful” reminds us of two Christmas journeys that lie at the heart of the season.

The first is the journey of God coming to earth in the form of a baby:

God of God, light of light,

Lo, he abhors not the Virgin’s womb…

Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing!

Jesus, God in the flesh, coming to earth.  What a miracle!  God could have saved us by any means he chose.  But he came as a child.

The second is the journey that we are invited to take in response:

O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant!

O come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem;

Come and behold him…Christ the Lord.

Although we may not physically travel to Bethlehem, we can spiritually and symbolically travel to the manger, reflecting on God’s incredible gift of a Savior.  As something I once read about this symbolical journey so aptly put it: “We can be there in our imaginations as we allow the Christmas story to hearten our spirits.”

This Christmas season, our holiday travels and gatherings may not look like they usually do.  But “O Come All Ye Faithful” reminds us that wherever we are, we can still make the trip to Bethlehem in our hearts to celebrate the coming of a baby.  We can still marvel at one of the greatest journeys the world has ever known.

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