Tis the Season of a Silent Night

There has been some dis­agree­ment as to hymn Silent Night’s origin and tradition. However, it is still a favorite hymn sung over the last few hundred years. One account of its origin is as follows. Early Christmas Eve 1818, tragedy struck a little church in the town of Oberndorf, Austria. Franz Xaver Gruber, the church organist (and primary school headmaster) was shocked to discover that the organ would not bellow out its majestic tones. After further examination he found that either mice had chewed a hole through the bellows or they had perished. For several days prior to Christmas day it had snowed heavily. So, nobody was able to come to repair the organ. Gruber was concerned that there may not be any music for the Christmas service. It seemed that it would be a season of a silent night without singing.

Gruber went to see the assistant minister Joseph Mohr telling him of the dilemma. Gruber asked Mohr to write a Christmas song that could be sung without the organ. Mohr walked off into the countryside trudging through thick snow, thinking about what to do. Later that day, Mohr sat reading the Gospel of Luke chapter two and thinking about what he was reading, he read Luke 2:11,

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David (a king of Israel) a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord” (Lk. 2:11 ESV)

The words welled up within him like a mighty overflow from heaven.

Working long into the night, Mohr composed a poem about the Christmas story. Early Christmas morning Mohr took his freshly penned words to Gruber hoping that he could quickly write a simple melody suitable for the guitar. That afternoon the music was finished. The people arrived, but there was no organ bellowing into the cold night air, only Gruber strumming his guitar. The song was sung that night for the first time. The people fell in love with the song immediately. Thus, Joseph Mohr and Franz Gruber gave the world a much loved Christmas carol. Since then it has been translated into more than ninety languages and dialects.

Oh, that the real meaning of Christmas would grip us this season. Grip us, the way that it gripped Mohr and Gruber. The message of the angel is one for all. Yes, even you! Jesus Christ was given by the Father as the beginning of a season of the greatest gift ever. He was born to die for your sin and rise again from the dead to give you new life. This Christmas tis the season that could be the beginning of the greatest Silent Night for you or someone you know.