It’s that time of year again. The weather’s getting colder, at least where I live. Soon there will be bells, tinsel, and red and green everywhere. I mean, hey, Hobby Lobby’s already beat us to it! Christmas is coming again.

Okay I’m getting a bit ahead of myself. We still have a month though, but we are entering the holiday season. I am determined to go into this year’s holidays with the right heart and mindset, and I hope you are too.

In lieu of this, I wanted to share a song that I will be playing over and over again in the upcoming months. My favorite band, the Arcadian Wild, just released a Christmas album called Happy Golden Days. They have well known songs on the album, such as O Come All Ye Faithful and Up on the Housetop. But there is one song on there called Nations that Long in Darkness Walked. 

It was originally written by John Barnard, and performed by Jill Phillips and Andy Gullahorn. I had never heard it before- but it is a song that I’m praying will stick with me through this season.

Nations that long in darkness walked

Have now beheld a glorious light;

On them who dwelt in shades of death

The light hath shined a heav’nly bright.

For lo! the virgin’s Child is born;

To us the Son of God is giv’n.

Upon His shoulders shall be laid

The government of earth and Heav’n.

The bridge sings: And everything is gonna change. And everything’s already changed. 

This coming season celebrates that change. The change that flipped the world upside down forever, for good. In light of that amazing change, how are we going to live our lives? And on a smaller scale, how are we going to celebrate this holiday season? I want to spend it listening to this song, and basking in the promise that comes with it.

I challenge you to live the holidays in, as the song says, this ‘glorious light’.

(And you should go listen to the whole album, it’s really good!)

Happy-Beginning-of-the-Holidays, everyone!