Edmund Sears (1810-1876) was ordained a Unitarian minister in 1839. His inspiration for writing, It Came Upon A Midnight Clear wasn't about to the birth of Christ, but the condition of the country as the Civil War approached. Quoting the angels song from Luke 2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men (KJV) Sears hymn became one of the earliest social gospel hymns in America.
I think about our culture today. Words like, bullying, hate, anger, rage, injustice, and violence fill our news. Whatever happened to hope, life and joy! The great lie is that we can live on our most powerful emotions. That they can sustain us through our daily lives.
But the most powerful emotion we have isn't hating or anger. It's love. 1 Peter 4:8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.
Anger capitalizes on our sins. Hatred exposes our sins. Love sees something else. What is the old saying, "Don't just a book by its cover?" Love sees beyond our, "cover" and discovers what is really inside our hearts. Love writes new chapters in our lives and finds what others would have never expected.
It is night time. The sky is beautiful and clear. Let love come and conquer the day.
PRAY: Dear Jesus, let me love others today. AMEN
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