‘Till
he appeared, and the soul felt its worth.
What is more joyful than
watching something come alive? To hear the first cry of a newborn, to see the
virgin rays of dawn or to watch the unfurling of a flower. But even more
satisfying is seeing a person come alive, be this through pursuing a passion,
reconciling with an old friend or discovering fresh purpose.
Stories are often a
catalyst to this process, which is one reason why films are so popular – at their
best they lead to self-reflection and offer a vision of a better, higher self.
The Christmas story is one such story, and it brings us alive in the
profoundest sense. This is captured in these lines from ‘O Holy Night’, that
speak of a bleak landscape of woe being shattered by the appearance of Christ.
But what does it mean for ‘the soul to feel its worth’?
It means recognising that
in our deepest being we were made to know and enjoy God and His glory; it means
recognising that through our choice of pride we have surrendered that
magnificent soul call; and it means recognising that only in Jesus Christ can
we truly come alive once again.
O, Holy Night - from the French hymn by Placide Cappeau
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