When I think of Advent, I think of music. When I think of music, I think of our beloved Bill Arthur. Though he gave us many gifts, his chosen legacy, his supreme gift to us was one of music.

No doubt all of us have been reminded that God gave us two ears and only one mouth—the better to listen with! Perhaps the greatest gift we can give this season is the gift of listening—listening to the beautiful hymns and music so caringly performed by other of our heroes- Holt and Marcia and our wonderful choirs.  

An Advent reminder from Bill was to hum the tune and to think of the words—IT Came Upon the Midnight Clear. And dear Bill asked us what is “IT?” “IT” of course was “That Glorious Song of Old”- the song that the angels sang to those ordinary, hardworking shepherds. Bill urged us to go deeper—what were they singing about?  “IT” simply was “PEACE.”  PEACE—the world’s most needed commodity—Peace in our hearts, in our families, sweet and blessed peace—that heightens every aspect of human experience!”

Truly, Christmas is all about God’s bright light that comes to a dreary world, God’s peace to our disorder, God’s love to our hate, God’s song to our woes. Surely, in our troubled world, we need to  “LISTEN” into the quiet of the night for “IT”—God’s blessed Peace.

So let the hopeful promise of this carol, and others as well, be a source of comfort and PEACE to you and yours for this ADVENT season.

“Do you hear what I hear!” 

David Berry

About the Contributor

Elder David Berry and his wife Louisa enjoy sharing the music of Christmas locally with their son David and his wife Brooksie and their grandchild Juliet. At FPC David has enjoyed teaching Sunday School and working with youth, Scouts and mission trips.