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This week’s Christmas reflection is “The Soul Felt Its Worth” by OLA Associate Tammy Winn Bocher:
My favorite Christmas carol is “O Holy Night.” It was originally a poem written in the 1840s by the French poet Placide Cappeau. Later, French composer Adolphe Adam created music to accompany it. In 1855, John Sullivan Dwight, an American minister and Abolitionist, translated the song into English. His revisions emphasized the awe and wonder of the Incarnation as well as the Christian duty to alleviate oppression.
For me, the highlight of this song is that amidst a world of sin and error, Christ appeared and “the soul felt its worth.” This lyric captures the moment we recognize our identity as beloved. Among heartaches and brokenness, Love shows up to remind us of who we really are. We get to bask in this beautiful love initiated by God, and, for having experienced it, we are inspired – if not compelled – to extend it to others. This is the sacred work of unending incarnation; a Love that begets love.
Indeed, the soul feels its worth in the presence of God. This Christmas season, may we take what sacred opportunities we have to share that Divine Presence with the world, to lift up the dignity of one another, and awaken to our worthiness once more.