I don't know what it is, but every time I watch this video I get weepy. Every. time. It could be that it's a flash mob, which is always fun. And it's during Advent, one of my favorite seasons. Or it may be because it's the Hallelujah Chorus, which, you know, is a tearjerker on it's own. But I don't think that's really what gets me.

I think what gets me is the people in the mall, the ones who don't suspect a thing. They are going about their busy, trying to grab a quick lunch in the midst of a hectic day of Christmas shopping, when suddenly, a single voice breaks into the everyday noise of the food court. A moment later, they hear another voice, and then another. Soon, the shoppers are surrounded by a choir. They may even find they are standing next to a soprano or sitting next to a pair of tenors. Together, the shoppers listen as the choir praises God and proclaims the good news that the Messiah is born.

What gets me is that these shoppers are us. They are us on Christmas day. They are the shepherds frozen in fear and awe as the light of God breaks in to the dark night. They are the innkeeper, not ready to make space for God's presence but doing the best he can. They are us, mired deep in the midst of our priorities and concerns and neuroses and everyday lives, and finding ourselves suddenly in the presence of Grace, realizing Grace has been there all along.

And we are joyful and pleased and stunned into silence. We laugh and try to get the attention of our neighbor who hasn't noticed yet. We pull out our phones and take videos and selfies and post them to Facebook. We want to share this. We want to take this in, remember it. We want to be changed by it - we know we will be. And so we stand and listen and smile.

God is with you. God is standing next to you in line at the food court as the choir of angels breaks into song. God is sitting next to you on the couch or at your desk. God is laughing with you, weeping with you, pondering with you. God is with you. You have only to look at the faces of the folks in this video to realize this.

Gets me every time.

May the peace and awe of God's presence and deep love infuse this season and the year to come.

Merry Christmas,
Kristen and the Prayerworks Studio family