Still, still, still,
Weil’s Kindlein schlafen will.
Die Englein tun schön jubilieren,
Bei dem Kripplein musizieren.
Still, still, still,
Weil’s Kindlein schlafen will.

It is Christmas Eve.  For some, this is the night when we contemplate what Christmas is really all about.  We attend candlelit services, we sing familiar carols, we take a moment to receive the calm beauty of a sacred event.  It is a chance to be still – in the midst of the chaos of this time of year, the chaos of our lives, the chaos of our world.

It is also a chance to let our emotions flow.  For many, this has been a difficult year. There have been losses, there is confusion.  Things are not quite as they should be; all kinds of things have changed – some for the better, others not.  We are tired, we are anxious, we are uncertain.  We carry pain and frustration deep within, or close to the surface.  We need a break from everything.

So we take this moment to embrace the stillness and within it, allow all that we feel to be exhaled.  We listen to the angels singing – perhaps with the voices of those we know, perhaps with the voices of strangers from afar.  We breathe in the beauty, we allow ourselves a few tears. These voices offer us the comfort and assurance that we are loved and that we can find rest.

A moment of stillness and peace is my wish for you.  Merry Christmas.