It Came Upon A Midnight Clear

As Christmas nears, what reminds you most about this holiday season? Presents? Gifts? Santa? Rudolph? When I was young, I always love this season, not so much because it is about gifts and presents but more of the joy to see how some poor wretched forgotten member of the society gets to receive some gifts out of love from their more well-to-do neighbours. Santa of course epitomised the one person who champions the gift of sharing and the feel good factor makes this one special holiday that stands out above the rest.

Being poor and I don't exactly have much toys, I often envy other children who have big expensive collection of toys. I always wished Santa will deliver me a pressie like Optimus Prime and I once even wrote a letter asking for some presents. How silly right? Being raised in a traditional Buddhist mix Taoist family also don't help much since my desire to celebrate Christmas is as alien to my family as century egg is to those of non-Chinese origin.

Of course, in the past, you can still watch cartoons on national TV that allude to another symbolic meaning of Christmas and it is about a child born 2,000 years ago in Bethlehem. I always remember the larger than life star appearing at the end of a nice story shining down onto the city covered in snow where a child who found hope, love and care as he was homeless and a family decided to take him in for this special occasion. Or that it also show clips of old people bearing gifts visiting a child sleeping on a manger with cows and sheep surrounding him. Somehow, cartoons then can be quite deep unlike senseless cartoons today.

Source: http://www.es.com/products/digital_theater/shows/christmasstar/

I don't really know who this child is until I entered my primary national school where I met people from other religions and races. I learn from my Christian friends that Christmas is not just about Santa, presents and feeling good about being selfless on that special day. It is about celebrating a boy child's birthday by the name of Jesus Christ. He is actually quite a big shot since people worshiped Him. I am not too alien to this concept of course as I am raised in a family steeped in polytheistic beliefs. However, I am only acquainted with Jesus Christ in a personal manner about 10 years ago when I studied in Australia. I realised that Christmas holds a dear meaning to every believer of Jesus Christ because this person bears a terrible future which many would have wished they will never have happened to them or their loved ones. Imagine one is born literally to die for others? Yup, that is Jesus alright.

Source: http://thebiblerevival.com/clipart26.htm

Have you heard of the following song, "It Came Upon A Midnight Clear"? It is quite often sung by carolers during this time of the year. It is a song of hope, about angels singing hope and a future from the glorious King who is none other than Jesus Christ. About the coming peace on earth and good will to men.

It came upon the midnight clear,
That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth
To touch their harps of gold!
"Peace on the earth, good will to men,
From heaven's all gracious King!
The world in solemn stillness lay
To hear the angels sing.

Most carolers may skip the following stanzas or merely repeat the stanza above before switching to other songs. And yet, if the carolers continue singing we actually hear the reality of the present state of the world. The world have not seen peace even with the birth and death of Jesus Christ. The world is still suffering in sin and strife. Man, instead of enjoying peace, enjoys warring with one another. It is as though man hears not the very song of love the angels sang 2000 years ago over the fields in Bethlehem.

Still through the cloven skies they come
With peaceful wings unfurled
And still their heavenly music floats
O'er all the weary world;
Above its sad and lowly plains
They bend on hovering wing.
And ever o'er its Babel sounds
The blessed angels sing.

Yet with te woes of sin and strife
The world hath suffered long;
Beneath the angel-strain have rolled
Two thousand years of wrong;
And man, at war with man, hears not
The love song which they bring:
O hush the noise, ye men of strife,
And hear the angels sing.

And yet, as though somehow the angels themselves are deaf to strive of men, continue to sing of the coming of the Age of Gold, where peace shall be all over the earth. Afterall, the angels sang because they believe there is still hope.

For lo! the days are hastening on,
By prophet bards foretold,
When, with the ever-circling years,
Shall come the Age of Gold;
When peace shall over all the earth
Its ancient splendors fling,
And all the world give back the song
Which now the angels sing.

Source: http://creationwiki.org/Christmas_star

Yes, as I look out the window tonight, I will be looking for the stars, into the heavens waiting for the return of the Glorious King, to usher in the Age of Gold, for I too, believe what the angels sing 2000 years ago.