Luke 1:39-55
Singing a song can out us into a totally different mood, or sometimes match it. Today Mary sings, in Luke Zechariah sings at the birth of John, Simeon sings in the temple when he sees the baby Jesus, the angels sing to the shepherds of his birth. Singing is an integral part of this change that has come to the world.
Singing can change us, can change our perspective. When I heard one of the freedom riders, who rode the buses through the south demanding equal treatment for blacks, were arrested in Alabama and put in jail song was the way they communicated. One person would start and others respond, soon the song could be heard all over the jail. It told others you were okay, it helped build morale to know they were there and it frustrated the guards a lot. They knew these songs would be used to help them through a tough and dark time, just like Mary today, just like us.
When you sing a song you are drawing breath deeply, in a different way than you normally do. It is fuller opening mot only your lungs, but sending off endorphins in your brain that lift your spirit. Even some of the titles can do this for us. O come, o come Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel; Lo! he comes with clouds descending; Hark! a thrilling voice is sounding: "Christ is nigh," it seems to say; Creator of the stars of night, your people's everlasting life; and on and on. These are songs of hope, songs of change, songs of everything not being what it seems to be, just like Mary's.
So today take some time and sing some songs. Swing the songs of Christmas or even Advent. Sing the songs of hope, blessing, change, and don't be afraid of what they contain. We cannot be held by the fear which has permeated our world, we can't be held by hateful words as prisoners, we sing a song of protest, the songs of Christmas. The ones that tell us to rejoice, to share some Christmas joy with others, to tell the good news that no matter how awful and scary the world looks Jesus came, God sent a son, into a world much bleaker than ours and sent us to love.
Singing a song can out us into a totally different mood, or sometimes match it. Today Mary sings, in Luke Zechariah sings at the birth of John, Simeon sings in the temple when he sees the baby Jesus, the angels sing to the shepherds of his birth. Singing is an integral part of this change that has come to the world.
Singing can change us, can change our perspective. When I heard one of the freedom riders, who rode the buses through the south demanding equal treatment for blacks, were arrested in Alabama and put in jail song was the way they communicated. One person would start and others respond, soon the song could be heard all over the jail. It told others you were okay, it helped build morale to know they were there and it frustrated the guards a lot. They knew these songs would be used to help them through a tough and dark time, just like Mary today, just like us.
When you sing a song you are drawing breath deeply, in a different way than you normally do. It is fuller opening mot only your lungs, but sending off endorphins in your brain that lift your spirit. Even some of the titles can do this for us. O come, o come Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel; Lo! he comes with clouds descending; Hark! a thrilling voice is sounding: "Christ is nigh," it seems to say; Creator of the stars of night, your people's everlasting life; and on and on. These are songs of hope, songs of change, songs of everything not being what it seems to be, just like Mary's.
So today take some time and sing some songs. Swing the songs of Christmas or even Advent. Sing the songs of hope, blessing, change, and don't be afraid of what they contain. We cannot be held by the fear which has permeated our world, we can't be held by hateful words as prisoners, we sing a song of protest, the songs of Christmas. The ones that tell us to rejoice, to share some Christmas joy with others, to tell the good news that no matter how awful and scary the world looks Jesus came, God sent a son, into a world much bleaker than ours and sent us to love.
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