Greg: "A Night Not So Silent"
Posted by Martha & Greg Singleton , Wednesday, December 21, 2011 7:15 PM
We sing about a silent night, calm and peaceful.
It’s a pleasant picture,
But just how quiet was that night?
In a crowded city,
People, shoulder-to-shoulder, back-to-back
And in each others' faces.
All the places to stay were full.
The frustrated innkeepers loudly proclaiming
That there was just no more room.
The only space to be found was a smelly stable,
Cattle mooing, sheep bleating, donkeys braying.
A young woman, an out-of-towner,
In labor with her first child.
The Child is born,
And cries out greetings to His new world.
A star gleams brightly right overhead
Making the night almost as bright as day.
And then, there's that rejoicing,
Voices of the Angels of Heaven themselves.
And then, of simple shepherds
Who only moments before
Had been shaken by all the other-worldly chaos.
Now, in harmony,
With one voice,
Fortissimo.
Silent nights may be pleasant,
But I’ll save them for the times
That I must have rest.
I want my nativities to be loud.
Filled with laughter and love,
With the underpinning of hope.
And then, there’s that rejoicing,
Unmistakable and attractive.
Music, lights, and decorations,
Each one purposefully declaring
The Glory of God.
So that each one who passes
Through the doors of our home,
Family, friends, neighbors,
And even strangers,
Knows that this day deserves
Much more than passivity.
His birthday calls for noise.
Happy noise, loud noise, invigorating noise.
This night, I will not be silent.
