“O, Ordinary Night”
DTEB, “O, Ordinary Night”
I like the Christmas song “O Holy Night.” In fact, I like it a lot.
However, I wonder . . .
I wonder if, for most people of that time, it wasn’t just another night. Most people were probably tired. Some were hungry. Some were worried. Some went to bed angry. Some couples were involved with some serious snuggle-bunnying. Others were fussing. Perhaps, if most people on the night of Jesus’ birth had written a song, it would have been entitled “Bah! Another Ordinary Night!”
However, I think that there is something very comforting about thinking of the night of Jesus’ birth as “ordinary.” Now don’t get me wrong. I think Jesus’ birth itself was something Special. Indeed, I believe that his birth was way beyond Special—even “Special” with a capital “S”.
But to think of “. . . the night of the dear Savior’s birth” as being ordinary recalibrates my attitude toward my own ordinary days and nights. Am I sure that ordinary days and nights even exist? Perhaps every day and every night are full of God’s glory and that, therefore, all days and nights are therefore holy. This is, in fact, what I believe with growing conviction day by day.
Perhaps the word “ordinary” should be banished from our vocabulary. At the very least, we probably shouldn’t throw it around as much as we do.
Have an extraordinary—and holy—day and night!
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