St. Augustine said, “Singing is praying twice.” There is something about music that moves the soul. It goes beyond words just like pictures. A haunting melody in a minor chord may cause a melancholy mood and then moving on to a lively march can change the mood. Music is powerful. It touches our emotions in a way that just doesn’t happen with only words.
The combination of music and Christmas is transforming. Singing Silent Night in a dark church by candlelight brings us side by side with the shepherds awestruck by the presence of a newborn child filled with divine love. We sing with exultation because our hearts are filled with the love that came down on Christmas. All of our senses are engaged, the smell of wax, the sight of the light, the vibration of our vocal chords, and the sound of voices raised together in song. We are truly alive.
We were not able to sing for months during Covid in church but that didn’t stop the singing. People figured out ways to sing together. They gathered on balconies, over zoom, in parks, and in studios. Nothing can silence the music in our hearts. It makes its way out in the most creative ways.
Last week, I heard a three-year-old humming “O Come, All Ye Faithful” as he lay next to the train around his Christmas Tree looking at the lights. He was smiling.
Contemplative Knitting 