Article

 Jack Ferrell - December, 2025

O Holy Night

O holy night, the stars are brightly shining

It is the night of the dear Savior's birth

Long lay the world in sin and error pining

'Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth

A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn

Fall on your knees, oh, hear the angel voices

O night divine, O night when Christ was born

O night divine

O night

O night divine

Fall on your knees

Oh, hear the angel voices

O night divine, O night when Christ was born

O night divine

O night

O night divine

________________________

The story of Christmas begins in a quiet field under an unhindered sky.

Luke 2:8–14 tells us that the first people to hear of Christ’s birth were not priests, not kings, not scholars—but shepherds, men who lived on the fringes of society. Their eyes were used to the night. Their world was simple, uncluttered, and quiet.

And maybe that’s precisely why God sent the angels to them.

The shepherds lived in the darkness of open fields, far from the city lights—far from the noise, politics, and self-importance of Jerusalem.

And because their night was truly dark, they were able to truly see.

Why Shepherds? Why Not Priests?

In the first century, shepherds were often overlooked, even despised. They were not the picture of spiritual leadership. Yet God entrusted them with the most important announcement heaven had ever given.

Why?

Because the gospel arrives most clearly to those who live with open eyes and humble hearts.

Because often the people closest to the “light” of religion are also the most blinded by man-made brightness.

Because God reveals Himself to the lowly so He alone gets the glory.

This is the heart of Christmas: God comes to those who know they need Him.

“O Holy Night”—Seeing What They Saw

When we sing:

“O holy night, the stars are brightly shining…”

we picture something soft and sentimental. But the shepherds weren’t looking at a dim, hazy sky like we see today. They were looking at the heavens in their true glory.

I work night shift, and when I get home, I always check the stars. Even with modern light pollution, the stars pull my heart upward. They remind me that God is sovereign, powerful, and beyond comprehension.

But the sky I see is nothing like the sky the shepherds saw.

The Night Without Light Pollution

Today, city glow hides the Milky Way from most people.

Streetlights drown out the brilliance of the heavens.

We have grown so accustomed to artificial light that we barely notice how little of the real sky we can still see.

During the 1994 Los Angeles blackout, emergency lines filled with calls describing a “strange cloud” in the sky.

People thought it was smoke… or even UFOs!

It was the Milky Way—visible to them for the first time.

Think about that:

The beauty that God painted across the universe was there the whole time… but artificial light hid it.

And that’s not just a physical reality. It’s a spiritual one.

Spiritual Light Pollution

Just as man-made lights drown out the glory of the heavens, man-made distractions drown out the glory of God.

Spiritual light pollution looks like:

• Busyness

• Overcommitment

• Entertainment overload

• Noise

• Constant comparison

• The pull to perform spiritually instead of seeking God

• Living off secondhand spirituality instead of firsthand wonder

None of these things are “dark” in the obvious sense.

They’re bright—but artificially bright.

And artificial light can blind you just as easily as darkness.

The shepherds could see the glory of God because they lived in a place where they could still see His handiwork.

Their physical darkness prepared them for spiritual revelation.

But we often fill our lives with so much man-made brightness that we miss what God is showing us.

“Long Lay the World in Sin and Error Pining…”

The world before Christ was spiritually dim—not because of man’s brightness, but because of man’s brokenness. Humanity ached, groaned, and longed for redemption. We see this longing described in Romans 8:19–23.

And then:

“’Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth.”

When Christ appeared, He revealed our worth—not because we are great, but because He is.

His coming is the clearing of all spiritual fog.

His presence is the only true light.

His grace reveals what sin tries to hide.

We were not redeemed with temporary, flashy things like silver or gold, Peter says, but with the precious blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:18–19).

A Thrill of Hope for a Distracted World

When Jesus arrived, earth went from 400 years of prophetic silence to angelic praise in a single moment.

“A thrill of hope” is not sentimental—it’s explosive.

It’s the shock of going from darkness to dawn.

It’s heaven piercing through all the noise, all the sin, all the despair.

This is what Christmas is meant to do today: Cut through our spiritual light pollution and reveal the true Light again.

“Fall on Your Knees” — The Only Right Response

We can’t behold the glory of God until we clear away the clutter.

And once we see Him—really see Him—worship becomes the only natural response.

“O night divine” is repeated because the songwriter wants us to pause long enough to feel the weight of it.

The divine entered the ordinary.

The infinite entered the finite.

God entered our world so we could enter His presence.

Clearing the Light Pollution of the Soul

As we enter this season, Christmas invites us to:

• Slow down

• Look up

• Remove distractions

• Return to wonder

• Let God’s glory be brighter than our schedule

Because before we can truly rejoice in what God has done, we must first remember who God is.

It’s easy to spend all our time talking about the “wagon”—traditions, activities, routines—and forget the “horse” pulling it all: the everlasting, holy, sovereign God.

He is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.

So let this season clear your vision.

• Let wonder return.

• Let the noise fade.

• Let the true Light shine again.

“O night divine, O night…

O night divine.”