Emmanuel (God is with us in our sorrow)
Lyrics
I hear the Christmas songs
The angels tell of peace on earth
And yet my heart can find no peace at all
For all my joys are gone
And I am left with only grief
Can anyone speak comfort to my soul?
Emmanuel, God is with us in our sorrow
Emmanuel, he has come to bear our pain
Emmanuel, we have not been left abandoned
Emmanuel, God is here
The Christmas candles burn
For light has shone into the world
And yet the darkness overwhelms my mind
I feel no festive hope
As all around my friends rejoice
Does anybody hear me when I cry?
Emmanuel, Emmanuel
Our God is near
Come, Lord Jesus
© 2025 Chris Juby
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Story
A song for when Christmas is swallowed up in grief or worry or loneliness or despair. That's how I felt last year, and I know several people who must be in the jaws of it now.
I thought I was going to write another song full of questions to God, but as I began asking "how is Christmas good news when you're grieving?" I realised how fully God has met the broken-hearted in the Incarnation. The questions are more for our own souls and for the communities around us.
Of course Christmas is good news for the "joyful and triumphant", but I think God's heart in taking on flesh is even more for those who are mourning and defeated.
