There's Still My Joy
For many years now I have listened to this Christmas song with a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes. Later on, I heard that it was written in response to one of the author's moving through the Christmas holidays after the loss of a parent. I get that. The first Christmas after the loss of anyone can be tough.
But,even before I knew the background story, I had a vision of this song being about Mary, the mother of Jesus; her first Christmas after the death and resurrection of her Son must have been an emotional war ground. Joy, pain, grief, anger; the stages of grief wrapped up into one big package of confusion.
But, the reason I adore Mary is because of her example of grace and understanding. It would be like her to find the joy in a day that most modern day mothers would find only sadness.
I've had a vision for a long time, that of shooting a video that would express the pictures in my head every time I hear the song. It's probably not going to happen, so I pulled together these graphics to tell the story.
In the graphics are some theological tidbits that jump out - tidbits, that weren't planned. However you understand this, see it through the eye of a mother rejoicing the first world-wide celebration of the birth of her son. We don't really know if there was one, but even if it started only in her heart, the celebration is still happening and the story of the birth is the first chapter to the greatest story ever told.
But,even before I knew the background story, I had a vision of this song being about Mary, the mother of Jesus; her first Christmas after the death and resurrection of her Son must have been an emotional war ground. Joy, pain, grief, anger; the stages of grief wrapped up into one big package of confusion.
But, the reason I adore Mary is because of her example of grace and understanding. It would be like her to find the joy in a day that most modern day mothers would find only sadness.
I've had a vision for a long time, that of shooting a video that would express the pictures in my head every time I hear the song. It's probably not going to happen, so I pulled together these graphics to tell the story.
In the graphics are some theological tidbits that jump out - tidbits, that weren't planned. However you understand this, see it through the eye of a mother rejoicing the first world-wide celebration of the birth of her son. We don't really know if there was one, but even if it started only in her heart, the celebration is still happening and the story of the birth is the first chapter to the greatest story ever told.
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