O Night Divine!

There's something about Christmas Eve, something that doesn't have anything to do with the presents or the decorations or the food. That night is special. You can feel it in the air when you step outside and stand under God's heaven. There's an expectancy, a promise, a palpable Presence to that night.

The night feels alive with hope, with wholeness. You get the feeling that everything's going to be allright after all. And it is, because Jesus has come. Jesus rights every wrong and up-ends every situation.

All over the world, wars stop. Soldiers stop the killing, sing carols, and remember. All over the world, commerce ceases. The spending frenzy is over - that was in someone else's name. Now Jesus comes on the scene and the shopkeepers lock their doors and head home to their families. All over the world, families come together again at last.

Unlike other nights, when the black night sky and the far-away stars can make you feel so small and insignificant, on this night you feel like you're included in God's great plan for the world. And you are, because God had you in mind when He sent His Son.

This night is for each of us. Nobody's left out or forgotten - poor shepherds on the hillside were invited by angels to come and see. Little children as well as their grandparents get a twinkle in their eyes on this night because it holds such wonder and promise.

O, what a wonderful night. O Night Divine.