On Wednesday, my friend and colleague Stephen Kruiser and I recorded an episode of Faith All Over the Place in which we talked about how sacred Christmas music resonates with us far more than secular holiday songs do. In the post promoting Faith All Over the Place, I shared a couple of YouTube clips of the faith-driven Christmas songs that appeal to me, but I realized that I failed to mention some songs on the podcast.
Our discussion of Christmas music made me realize that my tastes have changed as I’ve gotten older. The Christmas songs that appeal to me the most are the ones that are more introspective and thoughtful. And of course, the ones that appeal to my faith resonate with me.
On the podcast, I mentioned that “In the Bleak Midwinter” has become one of my favorite Christmas carols lately, especially after I discovered Carols from King’s. The last stanza carries particular meaning for me.
What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb,
If I were a wise man, I would do my part,
Yet what can I give Him, give my heart.
“I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” resonates with a certain poignance for me as well. In a world where “hate is strong,” it’s important to remember that “God is not dead, nor doth He sleep.”
I’ve developed a certain fondness for “O Holy Night” as I’ve gotten older. But instead of the melismatic, bombastic versions, I gravitate toward something more stripped back and quiet, like Manchester Orchestra’s version.
Even a thoughtful Christmas-adjacent (or Epiphany-adjacent?) song like James Taylor’s “Home By Another Way” means more to me now than it did when I was a younger man.
But it’s not just Christmas music that has turned more introspective for me. Songs that I’ve loved for years carry a deeper meaning now that I’m in my 50s. Way back in 1999, Charlie Peacock released the song “Is the Brightness Still in Me?” It resonated with me when I was 27, but the meaning gets deeper with age:
And I think I’ve learned to love the freedom of the boundary line
Where freedom in the Spirit equals peace of mind
Still, there are nights when I close my eyes
And wrestle with the powers of hell
But there’s just as many, if not more, good mornings
When I wake up laughing and remember all is well
Sara Groves’ song “I’ve Been Here Before” hits different as I get older. The way she sings about God’s grace sustaining her through every season and situation of her life means a lot to me the older I get.
These are just a few examples of the music that grows deeper roots in me the older I get. Even songs I once loved purely as great rock tunes — like “Simple Man” — carry a different weight now. Experience has a way of turning familiar lyrics into something closer to wisdom.
Music has always been an essential part of my life, but these days I find myself listening with a different purpose. I lean in, hoping to hear meaning, truth, maybe even a little encouragement for the road ahead. And I’m grateful for songs like these — songs that somehow grow as I do. I’ve always liked them, sure, but now (with all due respect to the SEC) they just mean more.
If music has taught me anything this season, it’s that meaning deepens with experience — and so does the news. At PJ Media, we look at the culture, the country, and the world with eyes shaped not by wishful thinking, but by wisdom, faith, and lived reality.
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