The weary world rejoices

Annette Osborne

The weary world rejoices

There is a line in a Christmas carol that has been on my mind recently that says, ‘the weary world rejoices for yonder shines a new and glorious morn’.

We live in a weary world. Our media is flooded with stories of war and violence, corruption and famine, disillusionment and anxiety. Alongside this are the many stories that never make our news. Yet, in the midst of our weary world babies are being born. New life arrives in houses, hospitals, refugee camps and bomb shelters. Families welcome these little ones with tears of joy.

Jesus was also born into a weary world, one occupied by a foreign and cruel power. At the command of Rome, people travelled home to participate in a census. Because of this, Mary and Joseph arrive in Bethlehem to discover that every room is full. In our traditional tales, they were turned away from the inn, to only find a place to rest in a stable or cave out the back. Alone with the sheep and the goats they welcomed their child into the world.

But it is much more likely that Jesus was born in the corner of the main room of the house, where the animals were kept. He was most likely born surrounded by his family, and the noise and chaos of multigenerational family life. Maybe he was helped into this world by Jewish midwives who sang and prayed over him as he took his first breath.

His family rejoiced at his birth and at that moment the whole world rejoiced too. For here, in this crowded house, lying in an animal’s feeding place, was Emmanuel, God with us. 

As we turn our attention towards Christmas we celebrate together with rejoicing that our creator and saviour came to dwell with us. In the midst of our weary world, hope is born.

As we pray together as families and communities, may we remember those in our weary world who find it difficult to rejoice this season. May we be a people who bring the love of Jesus to those who need his joy.