We are often being told that we need to wake up. Various events have been described as “wake up calls” including atrocities we have witnessed this year such as the Manchester synagogue attack and the Bondi Beach massacre. We’ve been told at various times that we need to wake up to the danger our nation has been in and I guess I’ve been sounding my own wake up call about things like Christian Nationalism. Meanwhile, in the last decade, the term “woke” has firmly entered our language, often now pejoratively but originally to speak of black people waking up to the injustice they had historically faced and in many situations still do.
However, here on Christmas morning is a better wake up call. Remember how in the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, the children wake from night on the run to hear slay bells. They fear the White witch has found them but it turns out to be Father Christmas. The white witch had made it winter all the time but never Christmas (a concept which I presume Lewis took from the carol “Cradled in the manger meanly). Now, her power was waning and Christmas had arrived.
We wake up to Christmas morning because in Christ, God had done the very thing that Alsan breaking the witch’s curse is just a pale shadow of. Jesus came to break the curse of sin and death, of evil and darkness/ Christmas Day is a glad reminder of that truth, that Christ is come and so the victory won.
I’m sure many of us were awake early this morning, maybe to get the turkey ready and in the oven or in many cases woken by excited children wanting to see what presents they have received. I hope that you woke up today and will wake up every morning full of joy because of who Christ is and the “mystery of love” seen in his birth and even more in his death and resurrection.
1 Christians, awake, salute the happy morn,
whereon the Savior of the world was born;
rise to adore the mystery of love,
which hosts of angels chanted from above;
with them the joyful tidings were begun
of God incarnate and the virgin’s Son.
2 Then to the watchful shepherds it was told,
who heard th’angelic herald’s voice: “Behold,
I bring good tidings of a Savior’s birth
to you and all the nations of the earth;
this day hath God fulfilled His promised word;
this day is born a Savior, Christ the Lord.”
3 He spake, and straightway the celestial choir
in hymns of joy, unknown before, conspire;
the praises of redeeming love they sang,
and heav’n’s whole orb with alleluias rang;
God’s highest glory was their anthem still,
peace on the earth, and unto men good will.
4 To Bethl’hem straight the happy shepherds ran,
to see the wonder God had wrought for man;
and found, with Joseph and the blessed maid,
her Son, the Savior, in a manger laid;
amazed, the wondrous story they proclaim,
the earliest heralds of the Savior’s name.
5 Oh, may we keep and ponder in our mind
God’s wondrous love in saving lost mankind!
Trace we the Babe, who hath retrieved our loss,
from His poor manger to His bitter cross.
Tread in His steps, assisted by His grace,
till our imperfect state God doth replace.
6 Then may we hope, th’angelic hosts among,
to sing, redeemed, a glad triumphal song;
He that was born upon this joyful day
around us all His glory shall display;
saved by His love, incessant we shall sing
eternal praise to heav’n’s almighty King.[1]
[1] John Byrom
I’d like to take this opportunity on behalf of my family to wish all Faithroots’ readers a truly happy and blessed Christmas.
Faithroots 