Hopes and Fears of All the Years

“O Little Town of Bethlehem” is definitely in my Top 5 Christmas Carols.

It was written in 1865 by Phillips Brooks, an Episcopal priest (!) and rector of Trinity Church in Philadelphia. As the story goes, Brooks was inspired to write this carol while on pilgrimage to the Holy Land and after seeing the real, living city of Bethlehem.

However, I can’t help but think that the end of the American Civil War in 1865 — and the uncertain future of the newly reunited republic — had something to do with the words he chose. That may be especially so when we recall that line from the first stanza:

Yet in thy dark streets shineth

The Everlasting Light;

The hopes and fears of all the years

Are met in thee tonight.

Even as a child, I can remember being intrigued by, moved by, and drawn to these words. The birth of Jesus is not just about unbridled joy. Rather, somehow, hope and fear are united in this birth and in this baby.

What is the role of fear in Christmas? How is fear untied to hope in Jesus’ birth? What hopes and fears do we bring to this year’s Christmas? This Sunday, we will ponder these questions with our friend St. Joseph, that dreaming carpenter who had to face his own fears in order to be part of the story of salvation