His Law is Love and His Gospel is Peace

It is now time to pay respect to my favorite Christmas song. I love this song very much. It is very beautiful and the words give me chills. My mom has been reading about the stories behind some well loved Christmas songs and in that same spirit I decided to read the story behind this one.

Did you know that it was the first song played over the radio airwaves? I think that's awesome. Did you know that the words were written by someone who was not really a believer? And the music was composed by a Jew? And that for those very reasons, the French Catholic Church tried to ban it? But the song was already in the hearts of the French believers and they sang it anyway.

And then later the song made it to America in time to be enjoyed for its anti-slavery views. (my favorite verse...I mean really, how can you not get goosebumps when a great singer belts out "chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother?")

So that's the history, read more here.

I think it's cool that a song that reminds me of the awe and beauty of Christmas and the awesomeness of Jesus (sorry, words escape me) also has such a rich history.

And that's the cool thing about music. It has the ability to transcend time. A song that inspired French believers and abolitionists in the 1800's, that brought a temporary cease-fire in war, and that was the first to be played on the radio still inspires and humbles and moves us today, in our little second of history.