I love Christmas! I love the time with my friends and my family. I love the decorating and the lights. I love finding the best gift and the giving of it. I love the singing and listening to the music.
I love it when I find a new Christmas song, one I haven’t heard before or one that has a message that I haven’t taken in before. I have a hard time giving up my Christmas songs once Christmas day is over, I don’t really want to listen to my ‘other’ time music, I love my Christmas time music. Kenny and Dolly, the Carpenters, Elvis and Mr Buble…there is more of course, I love Christmas music!
I found a new song this Christmas by a singer whom I have appreciated for ‘other’ time music. Rob Thomas wrote this song for a time when his world had been facing a battle, war really. It was written for New York and it is called “A New York City Christmas” Well, we all know the story of what happened in New York, not that long ago. I found the message of this song entirely fitting for any city, any town, any streets where people walk. Sometimes our streets are heavy with a sadness, we feel beaten and broken. We all have stories filling our hearts and minds, stories of the things that have happened to us. Stories that affect ourselves but that also affect the people around us, who in turn take it to the streets of their towns, into their shops and businesses. Some of the stories are sad, some of them are traumatic and are filled with pain and death. I have learned that everyone has a story, that even though my heart is heavy with my story , the person walking just behind me or just in front of me has a heaviness too. The person who gets into the elevator with me, the one who walks the halls of the hospital going in the other direction from me, the one who is stopped at the red light alongside me, the one who is having coffee at the table across from me.
Sometimes we are beaten and broken just like some of the streets and sidewalks in our city.
In our beaten and broken state, we have this amazing line we can call on, His line is always open, and His angels are always close by. An angel came to Mary and to Joseph. An angel came to Elizabeth, to Peter and to Jacob, to Hagar…there are too many to mention, but be assured they come, sent by Him to us. They come to offer courage, comfort, peace, strength and they come to confirm our faith in Him.
“So call on your angels,
you’re beaten and broken,
it’s time that we mended…
Let our mercy be the gifts we lay…
Celebrate each and every day
Yeah, I’m sending you a merry New York Christmas
and a prayer for peace on earth within our time.
Hear the sidewalk angels echo Hallelujah.
We understand them, now more than ever.
Call on your angels, come down to the city, let’s crowd around the big tree,
all you strangers who know me,
bring your compassion,
bring your forgiveness,
Lord, how we need it
on this New York City Christmas”
These are some of the words, put in the name of your town, your street and listen...
Do you hear the angels echo Hallelujah?
