“What’s in a name?” -Romeo Montague
My favorite Christmas song is, “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” I remember singing it as a small child and immediately loving the sound and feel of it, while the appreciation for the lyrics and meaning came later in life. My favorite songs tend to be slower and more contemplative in nature so the minor chords and melody of this song are a perfect fit for me. It was that appreciation of meaning that sparked an interest to write this song with the title “Immanuel.” Interestingly, this time around, the first thing I wrote was actually the title. Usually, the title is the last thing I create. For this song, however, before writing lyrics or music, I knew I wanted to write a song with that title because it is a name that impacts me so personally every time I hear it. Emmanuel means, “God with us” and it is so significant and profound that God chose that name for Himself when coming to the earth in human form. The name communicates his purpose and desire for coming and his interest in being close to his own creation in a tangible, real way.
Mind.
Blown.
I love the Christmas holiday because it reminds me of the Father’s desire for ME, for us, which renews the feeling of closeness with Him in a special way every year. So, I wanted the song to highlight a few of the implications of “God with us” that have been so important to me in my faith journey. I’ll share my personal favorites from the song:
“… the fullness of God placed in a man so we could be loved and freed to love Him.”
“Wonderful Counselor AND the Almighty God . . . born to become the redemption of man for the price of your blood.”
“God with us and pleased with us to dwell.”
Wow.
GOD. With us.
Not just present… but also really happy to be.
He is near! AND… He’s in a good mood!
His desire isn’t to be passively present in the background of our lives like some distant relative at a family reunion where you’re like, “huh? How am I related to that guy?”, but rather up close and personal. With us in all our trials and hardships. With us to reverse every curse, end all oppression and violence, heal all our sickness and pain. With us to increase our joy and freedom. Hmm… it’s as if He actually wants to be someone we could devote our lives to or something. Crazy.
Well, I hope the song speaks to you in some way. Thanks so much for taking the time to read this even in the midst of a busy holiday season!
Have a Merry Christmas!
P.S. –
These are the Bible passages I read while writing the song in case you want to explore them yourself.
Isaiah 7:14-15
Isaiah 9:1-7
John 1: 1-18
Hebrews 1: 1-4