Noel

In his book Stories of Christmas Carols, Ernest Emurian writes of the obscure origins of the word "noel".  There is apparently much scholarly debate about Latin root words, but the most likely story rests in the English propensity to abbreviate phrases.  

For example, "Good be with you" condensed to "goodbye", "fare thee well", "farewell".

So  it is highly possible that lazy tongues also produced the word "nowell" from an old Christmas morning greeting, "Now all is well."

Now all is well.

In a world run rampant with troubles, a Savior has been born!

Now all is well!

Except

all is not well.

Or so it seems in circumstances.

Ugly divorces, pressure from every direction, disease that robs young and old.

The general unloveliness of people.

All, indeed, is not well.

If my eyes are focused on my surroundings, I risk living, as Anne Voskamp writes, as though Christmas is a myth. 

I risk living joyless, hopeless.

Part of the problem, I think, is that even we who profess Christ have made Christmas about us.

In one way, of course, it was about us. 

Christ came to earth, our Emmanuel, to rescue His people, those on whom His favor rests.

Yet we miss the first part of the story that says, "Glory to God in the Highest!"

The great and glorious and highest God has made this thing happen--

He is mighty to save,

loving in all His ways,

the Redeemer and Rescuer of His people.

The Hero of the story is not the princess in the tower;

it's the Prince of Peace.

He's here.

Now all is well.

He's coming again.

And all will be well.

Following,

Ginger

Linking here and here and here.