“Silent Night”

Tuesday, December 22, 2015 

Silent night, holy night!

All is calm, all is bright.

Round yon virgin, mother and child.

Holy infant so tender and mild,

Sleep in heavenly peace,

Sleep in heavenly peace. 

            “Silent Night” was written by Joseph Mohr, a twenty-five year old assistant priest in a small village in Austria in the early 1800s.  He loved music and poetry, and he oftentimes wrote the words to songs for special events in his church.  However, on Christmas Eve in 1818 his special service was being prepared and the organ malfunctioned; he tried everything to fix it and then, of course, last of all he decided to pray about it!  He remembered an unassuming Christmas poem that he had written two years earlier, and he decided that was the answer to his dilemma!

            Mohr walked through heavy snow to the home of the organist at his church, Franz Gruber.  Frantic with anticipation, the priest told Gruber the situation, and he asked if the organist could write an easy melody for the words to the poem that he had written.  Mohr explained that it would have to be sung to a guitar, and that it would need to be something that the choir could learn quickly.  At first Gruber was dubious, but after re-reading the words that were to become the most recorded song in history, he felt that he could do it.  Mohr returned to the church to finish his preparations for the Christmas Eve service that was quickly approaching.  The song was soon presented to the choir, and the service was an astounding success!

“Silent Night” became a carol that is known throughout the world, thanks to the organ repairperson who came to fix the instrument a few weeks later.  Karl Mauracher was impressed with the story and with the song.  He introduced it all throughout his work route.  The folk singers of the Stasser family were very impressed with this little song, and they presented it in 1832 and a few months later at a large fair.  “Silent Night” struck the heart and soul of King William IV of Prussia; from there the song spread to both the east and the west and ultimately to the United States.  In 1839 it was sung in New York’s Trinity Church before a huge crowd.  It even brought a temporary peace to the battle waging between the Confederacy and the Union.

Joseph Mohr died penniless even though he was the one who wrote this poem and started its movement toward a grand success.  People were more interested in fanciful tales of its origins than in the truth.  People are like that – the truth may be “staring them right in the face,” but they want “fanciful tales” instead!  How often do we, how often do I overlook the truth in my quest to find what it is that I want the answer to be.  Jesus’ message is like the truth of Joseph Mohr’s creation of the words to “Silent Night” – profoundly simple!