A Thrill of Hope, Weary Soul Rejoice

I fully believe in our lifetime God sends us songs to help us in our walk – maybe to strengthen or to just provide a salve for our pain.  As I reflected on the Christmas song I love two came to mind.  Interestingly enough, these two songs started out as poems.  Although I must say, there is not a lot of difference between a poem and a song.  A poem is just a song waiting for a melody. 

Growing up the most beautiful Christmas song I ever heard was O Holy Night.  I actually remember the first time I heard it.  I may have been around 9 or 10.  It was sung on a Hallmark commercial.  The family was gathered around the piano singing with a young boy sad to see his older brother missing their annual Christmas singing.  Then of course in Hallmark style the brother comes through and sings the chorus with the family.  As I got older I noticed the beauty in the words.  Consider the second verse:

Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

I love the double meaning here.  Yes, it tells the story of Jesus being born, but when I hear the song, I cannot help but to think of the night I got saved.  Though I am nothing He made my soul feel its worth.  It was the thrill of the hope I have in Jesus and yes, my weary self did rejoice in His coming into my heart.  Wasn’t it a new and glorious morn when the Daystar arose in your heart?  It was for me.

Lastly, that last verse is something we should live by after we are saved: 

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.

Notably there is a historical reference here and it is recorded that many abolitionists used the song at the time of the Civil War to protest slavery.  Consider the verse though, does God not teach us to love our brother?  Absolutely.  As God giveth us grace, He also gave us the example to extend grace to others.  Then look at that second to last line – in grateful chorus raise.  God wants you to praise Him.  When I sing this song I desire to lifting my voice to GOD during it – I want Him to know that I am lifting my voice in praise to Him. 

As I stated before, there is another song that I love - I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.  This poem was written during the Civil War by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in 1863.  This song came to me after we had lost a baby in a miscarriage.  The poem has been turned into a song and sometimes even jovially sung.  However, the meaning and the history behind the song is very tragic.  To me the first group to capture the nature and feeling of the poem was Casting Crowns. 

Longfellow had multiple tragic occurrences and he wrote the poem as he reflected on those events in his life at Christmas time. His wife had been fatally burned and he was injured trying to put out the fire.  Also, his son – against his wishes – went off to war during the Civil War and was injured.  The beginning of his poem looks at the Christmas season and how those old familiar carols come around again reminding them of the season, yet in his sadness:

And in despair I bowed my head
"There is no peace on Earth, " I said
For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on Earth, good will to men

So much devastation, hate, and death during the Civil War seemed to break his heart.  In one of the stanzas Longfellow even discussed the cannon firing in the South.  It is very evident these things were waying heavily on him.  Despite tragedy after tragedy Longfellow came to this conclusion:

Then rang the bells more loud and deep
God is not dead, nor doth He sleep
(Peace on Earth)
(Peace on Earth)
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on Earth, good will to men

I just think wow – here is a man in the 1860s who was devastated, yet stated that, “God is not dead, nor doth He sleep.”  He had lost so much, but had that thrill of hope in his heart.  His weary soul was rejoicing!  One of the last lines discusses how “the world revolved from night to day.”  His hope in Christ made the difference in his life!  When Christmas time came after we had lost our baby, I was listening to this song and remembering Longfellow’s story.  Sometimes we do not understand why things happen, but to know that God holds tomorrow – that can bring strength on the darkest of days.

So, I love these two songs: Oh Holy Night and I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day. They hold such a special place in my heart in different time periods of my life.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Merry Christmas to you and yours, 

Summer Erickson