The Golden Hour
I am a classic Christmas music girl. However, I do love the song “I Need a Silent Night” by Amy Grant. She sings, “December traffic, Christmas rush. It breaks me till I push and shove,” and “Look at us now rushing around trying to buy Christmas peace.” It’s so relatable.
The Christmas season has become such a hustle and bustle that sometimes we forget (cheesy as it may sound) the reason for the season. God, our Creator and Savior, came down in human form. Not just in human form, but as a baby. A pure baby.
Here is what Luke 2 says about the birth of Jesus:
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register.
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
I think we often picture the birth of Jesus like the song “Silent Night” — “Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright.” But that’s not really how it happened. It says, after Mary gave birth, she had a whole crew of shepherds come tramping in. Just like in Amy Grant’s song, it was one more thing Mary had to add to her plate during this season.
Right after birth, there is a period of time called the Golden Hour. It’s recommended that the first hour after birth be uninterrupted time between mother, father, and child. No unnecessary medical intervention. No visitors. Nothing — just quality time as a new family to get to know each other. Maybe we can take a lesson from that practice. In this season of hustle and bustle, let’s take a Golden Hour. An uninterrupted moment to be with the King — Immanuel, God with us — this season.
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