It really was a silent night when Jesus was born.

Question: Does GOD want us always being loud & bold about Jesus? Does He always want us to post scripture on Facebook or wear Jesus t-shirts or display Christian bumper stickers? The obvious answer is Yes. And yet I wonder . . . especially as I read the original Christmas story (about Jesus, not Santa Claus)

I wonder because as I consider the wisdom GOD used in the unfolding of this drama, it seems counterintuitive. He wanted people to know about His Son so I would think the coming of Jesus would have been publicized better. Let’s be honest. Angels visiting a few shepherds in the pasture is not exactly a great way to let people know about things like the arrival of the Messiah. So why keep His birth a secret? Why not a news conference or at least a press release to the Jerusalem Journal? Or fireworks? Why not be loud & proud?

The only announcements were an angelic visitation to some shepherds and a star for astrologers from the East. And the wise men did not arrive until two years later! Talk about missing the moment! Fortunately they picked up on the subtle hint to go to Bethlehem and what they discovered was simply amazing. It was just as they had been told – Mary and Joseph and the baby. No fireworks or royalty or dazzling display, just a simple couple and an infant son.

And Bethlehem? Seriously, isn’t there somewhere with just a little more pizzazz than the “House of Bread”? Why not somewhere scenic like a lake house on Galilee?

This event was big news! And yet Jesus’ coming was such an understatement. Instead of the Messiah arriving on a white stallion with a band of angels behind Him, He showed up in the womb of a young unassuming girl who was pregnant out of wedlock.

When I read the story about one of the greatest events in human history and see the quietness and subtleness of it, I wonder if GOD is more interested in our quiet and unannounced expressions of His love rather than the loud and outrageous. Maybe, just maybe, there are times when we say nothing. Instead we go about out daily routines, allowing Him to live His life through us in subtle ways. And the power of it all is found in just that – subtlety. When something is powerful, you don’t have to announce it. When something is weak, you have to prop it up w/ publicity. You have to be loud in order to convince others of it. Sometimes our silence is louder than our words.