Labor of Love

It is my goal, one day, to actually do this song at our church. This is probably my favorite non-carol Christmas song, and how can you argue with a song that starts off. . . "it was not a silent night; there was blood on the ground". Not a silent night indeed. . I love that. I know, I know. . kind of a downer at first.

But, this is a beautiful song. I hope you "get it". Most church folks don't want downers and hard reality around Christmas, and I understand that. I just think it would be really neat for a song like this to be heard around Christmas-time at our churches, . . during a time that is often mythologized, cleaned up, and "smiled up" which usually has more to do with American culture than anything related to the Christmas story. Rant over. . . enjoy this great song.

It was not a silent night
There was blood on the ground
You could hear a woman cry
In the alleyways that night
On the streets of David’s town

And the stable was not clean
And the cobblestones were cold
And little Mary full of grace
With the tears upon her face
Had no mother’s hand to hold

It was a labor of pain
It was a cold sky above
But for the girl on the ground in the dark
With every beat of her beautiful heart
It was a labor of love

Noble Joseph at her side
Callused hands and weary eyes
There were no midwives to be found
In the streets of David’s town
In the middle of the night

So he held her and he prayed
Shafts of moonlight on his face
But the baby in her womb
He was the maker of the moon
He was the Author of the faith
That could make the mountains move

It was a labor of pain
It was a cold sky above
But for the girl on the ground in the dark
With every beat of her beautiful heart
It was a labor of love
For little Mary full of grace
With the tears upon her face
It was a labor of love

HT: JT