When it comes to Christmas hymns and carols, I’m mostly an old-school purist. I favor traditional Christmas music, with one exception. I love the contemporary Christmas song, “Mary Did You Know” by Mark Lowry and Buddy Greene, and now, it’s my favorite Christmas carol.
Lowry wrote the lyrics for “Mary Did You Know” in 1984 for a church Christmas play. In 1991, he joined the Gaither Vocal Band, and he crossed paths with fellow songwriter Buddy Greene. Greene loved Lowry’s lyrics and quickly penned the music. Since then, “Mary Did You Know” has been covered by many artists and has taken its place in the pantheon of beloved Christmas songs.
If you’re not familiar with this beautiful carol, I hope you’ll search it out and have a listen. It’s a song that reflects the traditional Christian Christmas story, but it also has a universal meaning that appeals to all new mothers. It tells us of Jesus’ mother, Mary, who, like all first-time mothers, is feeling an immediate sense of love for her newborn and wonders what the future will hold for her new baby. In “Mary Did You Know,” Lowry also wonders if Mary grasped her baby’s miraculous potential. Does she know he’ll grow up to calm storms, walk with angels or end up the Lord of all creation?
“And (Mary) when you kiss your little baby, (did you know) you’ve kissed the face of God?”
Did Marie Curie’s mother know baby Marie would grow up to be a renowned scientist? Did Churchill’s mother know little Winston would help save Europe from the scourge of fascism in World War II? Did Jerry Seinfeld’s mom know Jerry would grow up to be a top-notch comedian and keep us all in stitches? No. But I’m sure those moms felt the same sense of love, hope and wonder as Mary did when they held their babies for the first time.
In December 1979, not long before Christmas, I was very pregnant with my second baby. Thankfully, I didn’t have to ride a donkey from rural Nashville to Bloomington to give birth, but it wasn’t all smooth sailing the morning I went into labor either. I panicked after phoning our neighbor, who had promised to babysit our toddler when the “time” arrived. “Oops”, she said. She had forgotten all about it and was on her way out of town. Thankfully, longstanding friends in Bloomington came to our rescue and agreed to watch our 17-month-old son, Russ, and invited my husband, Mike, and me to wait at their place until it was time to head to the hospital.
Our son Ben arrived quickly and in the usual way. When I held him for the first time and gazed into his little face, I felt overwhelmed with love. Ben just turned 45, and he’s grown into a fine man. He’s kind and compassionate and has a great sense of humor. He and his wife, Alexis, have a toddler daughter, Ellie, now. They love Ellie dearly, and their little girl has enormous potential – even though her grandfather and I know we may not live long enough to see her fully blossom. But when I think of her, or our four other beloved grandchildren, I’m filled with hope for the future.
One traditional Christmas carol that I am fond of, “Love Came Down at Christmas,” is based on a poem written in 1885 by English poet Christina Rossetti. The first stanza reads:
“Love came down at Christmas,
Love all lovely, Love Divine;
Love was born at Christmas,
Star and Angels gave the sign.”
Old or new, traditional or contemporary, every year the songs of Christmastide offer love and hope for all.
Happy Christmas and Merry Holidays, friends!
Sharon Mangas is a Columbus resident and can be reached at sharon.d.mangas@gmail.com. Send comments to kgephart@therepublic.com.
