Notes of Noel - Breath of Heaven

 

Season of Advent - Love  Each week of the season of Advent which leads up to Christmas carries a deep meaning, the second one is love. Love is mentioned over and over throughout the Bible, from the first page to the last, and every page in between. That's because the Bible is one, long love letter from God to us, with Jesus, his birth and coming again the chief way of showing God's love. We all need love, desire it from those around us, and want to show it to those around us. What's interesting about our song choice is that it's not a love song or one that even has the word love within the lyrics, yet we'll find love as the theme of the song. The second song in the Notes of Noel is probably considered a Christmas classic by now. Our song is Breath of Heaven written by Chris Eaton who played in Amy Grant's backing band and when she heard it she felt it was right as a Christmas song. Amy made the lyrics more personal and coming from the virgin Mary's perspective of how what she might have felt carrying the Son of God in her womb. It was released on the Home for Christmas album from 1992. Before we listen and watch the song,  let's read the lyrics.  I have traveled many moonless nights Cold and weary with a babe inside And I wonder what I've done Holy father you have come And chosen me now to carry your son I am waiting in a silent prayer I am frightened by the load I bear In a world as cold as stone Must I walk this path alone? Be with me now, be with me now Breath of heaven hold me together Be forever near me Breath of heaven Breath of heaven lighten my darkness Pour over me your holiness For you are holy Breath of heaven Do you wonder as you watch my face If a wiser one should have had my place But I offer all I am For the mercy of your plan Help me be strong Help me be, help me Breath of heaven hold me together Be forever near me Breath of heaven Breath of heaven lighten my darkness Pour over me your holiness For you are holy   Have a listen and watch Breath of Heaven. Let's look at the lyrics:

So why choose 'Breath of Heaven' as a song of love? Think about the decision that Mary made to carry the Son of God, to go against all social norms of the day, to then give birth and love her son, God's only begotten until watching him suffer upon a cross. It would be hard to find a more well-rounded expression of love than the love of the mother Mary. This song while called 'Breath of Heaven' is also called (Mary's Song) because it's her words and thoughts as the birth of Jesus is about to happen. It's not the original song of Mary, as her song called the Magnificat (Latin for My soul magnifies)  is recorded in the gospel of Luke 1:46-55.  I have travelled many moonless nights  Cold and weary with a babe inside And I wonder what I've done Holy father you have come And chosen me now to carry your son You can feel the raw emotion of Mary in these words. She's cold, tired, has been travelling dangerous roads while pregnant and uncomfortable likely upon a donkey. It's not a short journey from the region of Galilee to Jerusalem and they'd have to be taking it slow with a lady ready to give birth at any moment. She had the time to think, she had the previous 9 months to think about the gravity of the decision to carry the Son of God.  It's not so much what she'd done though. It was the fact she was chosen, hand-picked from the numerous young women who could have been 'Mom' to Jesus; I'll bet that some of her thoughts were about the day-to-day reality of being mom, caring for her new-born son in what was a cruel and difficult world to raise a son. Probably the same kind of thoughts that soon to be parents have these days too, if you're a parent, you've almost sure had them too!    I am waiting in a silent prayer I am frightened by the load I bear In a world as cold as stone Must I walk this path alone? Once again we feel the emotion this young girl, maybe 14, 15 years old had while traversing to Bethlehem. Waiting, praying, riding, wondering and rightly frightened by carrying the Son of God. Not frightened in a sense of scared of this soon to be born child, but by the reality of who he was, and who he'd become. Frightened for what he'd face in a cold world, especially one that may not accept him, could she have imagined the scorn and shame her son would go through? No wonder she felt like she was walking this alone, thankfully Joseph was there by her side.  Breath of heaven hold me together Be forever near me Breath of heaven Breath of heaven lighten my darkness Pour over me your holiness For you are holy Breath of heaven She's asking that the powerful breath of God be over her and guiding her every step of the way. Where it's dark may the Lord lighten the path, and fill her with the holiness of God. Her love for God is seen so clearly here, just like in the Magnificat where she magnifies the Lord and worships her Lord. It's in this personal whispering and wondering that she meets close with God, same with us. While it's wonderful to meet with the Lord in a huge gathering or concert, it's often in the silent, personal solitude that we feel the breath of heaven upon us. What can better than to hear the voice of God in our lives, to experience his breath into our lives? Do you wonder as you watch my face If a wiser one should have had my place But I offer all I am For the mercy of your plan Help me be strong I think we see the love of Mary expressed best in these beautiful words. She's questioning if she was the right choice, had the angel spoken with the best person to live out the incarnation. She offers all she has, she gives her love as much as she can, and as we saw throughout the gospels Mary never stopped loving Jesus. She recognised that she needed the mercy and strength of God to fulfill the plan of incarnation.  You and I need the mercy and strength of the Lord to fulfill the plan in our lives. You've not been selected like Mary to carry Jesus in your womb, but you can carry Him in your heart. This week advent is all about love, what love the Father has shown us by offering his Son to take our place upon a cruel cross. We are called to share this same love to those around us, you may not feel like the right choice to raise your child, to be grandma or grandpa, to be the best choice of a friend for someone in need, but that's the place you find yourself. You have opportunities to show love to those around you, may you this Christmas see that like Mary, you too have been chosen to carry the King.  To enjoy the whole album, simply click on this link and you'll find each song from her Home for Christmas album, it's an iconic album in Contemporary Christian and Christmas music. Amy Grant Christmas