“Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples, when they see the love you have for each other.”
John 13:34-35 (MSG)
The title of my devotion comes from my favorite Christmas carol, “O Holy Night.” Its history is both fascinating and inspiring. In 1847, a French village priest asked Placide Cappeau, a local wine commissioner and non-religious man, to write a poem for Christmas mass. Why the priest chose such an unlikely person remains unclear, but Cappeau agreed.
While traveling to Paris, Cappeau opened a Bible to the book of Luke and imagined the wonder and mystery of that holy night. Overwhelmed by these thoughts, he wrote the poem Cantique De Noel. Pleased with his work, Cappeau asked his friend, Adolphe Charles Adam, a Jewish composer, to set it to music. Despite their differing beliefs, Adam created a stunning composition that quickly captured the hearts of those who heard it at Christmas mass.
Years later, American classical music critic and abolitionist John Sullivan Dwight discovered the carol. Moved by its message of freedom, he wrote English lyrics and published them as “O Holy Night.” The carol became deeply meaningful to a divided nation as the Civil War loomed. Its themes of HOPE and freedom resonated powerfully.
Remarkably, “O Holy Night” made history as the first song ever broadcast on the radio. On Christmas Eve 1906, inventor Reginald A. Fessenden played it on his violin and read from Luke chapter 2. Sailors in the Atlantic heard the Gospel message, and this sacred carol filled the airwaves for the first time.
This carol’s history shows how God works through unexpected people and circumstances. A worldly poet, a Jewish composer, an abolitionist, and an inventor each played a role in sharing a message of HOPE and love that continues to inspire today.
I believe the Spirit led that French priest to ask Cappeau to write the poem, confronting him with the Gospel as he read from Luke. The result was one of the most beloved Christmas carols of all time—a song that became the first ever played on the radio, declaring freedom in the midst of slavery, HOPE in chaos, love in hate, joy in weariness, and peace in war.
As we enter this Advent season, consider: Who might God be calling you to reach out to with love and faith? Who is the “unlikely person” in your life? Stepping out in obedience to God’s prompting could make an eternal difference—not just for them, but for you as well.
Truly he taught us to love one another.
Soli Deo Gloria,
Rev. Chad E. Smith
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