"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness—on them light has shined."  Isaiah. 9:2 (NRSV)

“In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified."  Luke. 2:8-9 (NRSV)

Throughout these Advent days we have intentionally waited in dimness, reflection, expectation and hope. The challenges of our personal lives, the nation and the nations, the Church and our church have provided a more than ample invitation to go deep in naming our hunger and need and God’s provision and adequacy.

As we have patiently waited and introspectively sung and listened to the hymns of Advent we have grown more restless and ready for the hymns, carols and songs of Christmas. After all we most assuredly sing our faith even when we are otherwise inarticulate.

This year I felt the quickening impulses of Christmas beneath the sometimes slow, but necessary, pace of Advent, waiting the song that I increasingly caught myself humming—"Do You Hear What I Hear?" I am sure that it has made its way into more than one Christmas concert this season as it has for over fifty years. The backdrop against which it was written is the telling indeed.

In October of 1962 in the face of the Cuban Missile Crisis, Noel Regney while walking the streets of New York City experienced a palpable sense of despair and hopelessness. He had known the affects of war earlier in his life prior to immigrating to the US. He was not keen to experience it again. As he made his way through the city streets however he began to experience a sense of hope most especially in the faces of two infants in different strollers who seemed to be smiling at each other. From there the poetry of the song “Do You Hear What I Hear?” began to flow. When he finished the lyrics he asked his wife, Gloria Shayne, to write the music and the rest is history as the saying goes.

Said the night wind to the little lamb,
do you see what I see
Way up in the sky, little lamb,
do you see what I see
A star, a star, dancing in the night
With a tail as big as a kite
With a tail as big as a kite

Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy,
do you hear what I hear
Ringing through the sky, shepherd boy,
do you hear what I hear
A song, a song, high above the trees
With a voice as big as the sea
With a voice as big as the sea

Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king,
do you know what I know
In your palace warm, mighty king,
do you know what I know
A Child, a Child shivers in the cold
Let us bring Him silver and gold
Let us bring Him silver and gold

Said the king to the people everywhere,
listen to what I say
Pray for peace, people everywhere!
listen to what I say.
The Child, the Child, sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and light
He will bring us goodness and light

When you bend your knee in Bethlehem this week may both your body and your spirit be lifted by the promise and the assurance that the Christ Child does indeed bring us “goodness and light”. Have a blessed Christmas.

Gregory V. Palmer
Resident Bishop, Ohio West Area