What is the inspiration or story behind the song?
This song was written in the fall of 2022 when I was finding myself in a place of burnout regarding the Christmas season yet again. Less than a year before, I had just come off staff after 13 years as the worship leader of a church Leslie and I had helped plant–until the burnout was so strong it was impossible to continue. Let’s face it. When your job is ministry, the Christmas season and Christmas Eve in particular demands a lot from you, and that’s on top of the stress, busy-ness, travel, and extended family time that’s somehow never enough. It makes it hard to actually experience Christmas on a personal level. Because of this, I’d grown to view the Christmas season as something I just needed to get through every year. I hadn’t held back sharing these somewhat bitter thoughts about Christmas with Ronald and Paul during our first few months at Waypoint, so naturally I was completely taken off guard when in October they “voluntold” me to write a song for the first day of Advent celebration service. Awesome… these clowns go find the one guy around they know has Christmas PTSD and task me to write a song about the “wonder” of Christmas. I desperately wanted to say no but I’m a team player, so I got to work.
If you’ve ever given birth or been in a room with someone giving birth, you know that’s NOT a quiet process. A woman groaning in the pain of labor and birth; a child screaming as it draws its first breath. I’m not trying to hate on a classic song, but it’s a paradox that we celebrate Christmas with terms like “silent” and “peace” while the Bible implies that the circumstances of Jesus' birth were a stressful, traumatic, scary, loud, and painful experience for the characters of the story. The innkeeper’s world was turned upside down that night, too. After all, tiny Bethlehem had so many people visiting for that census that there was literally no room anywhere. How busy of a day had that innkeeper had, and how much more was there still left to do that night? I imagine he was short on sleep, probably hadn’t eaten all day, and was pretty stressed out. The shepherds in the story had their lives turned upside as well. For them, it was just a normal day that likely looked like the day before it and the one before that, etc. Then the star and the angels appeared. I wasn’t there, but I’m guessing that a multitude of heavenly hosts singing “hallelujah” is terrifyingly loud. The shepherds who had been in their routine moments before were now suddenly confused and frightened–but also, maybe in awe. You see, neither the shepherds nor the innkeeper were expecting the savior of the world to show up that day or in that way. No one was, not even Mary and Joseph. They knew the baby was coming, but I’m not sure either of them pictured things unfolding how they did. No one in the story truly grasped the magnitude of what was happening: God became flesh to dwell among sinners. Emmanuel - God with us.
What is the message of the song?
When I really stopped to consider it, I found myself as a character within the Christmas story. Our Christmas experiences had become stressful, busy, normal, even painful. I was the innkeeper, overwhelmed by the busyness of the season. I was one of the shepherds, running on autopilot and treating Christmas like it was just a “normal” day. I was so focused on my circumstances that I wasn’t looking around and wasn’t expecting the Savior. Now for me, the wonder of Christmas means that even if it’s the busiest of days, just a normal day, or even a painful or scary day, He still shows up in my story (often where I don’t expect Him); and even more importantly, He invites me into His.
Why Does Waypoint Sing this Song?
(From Clayton) I really don’t know, LOL! Musically, it’s about as un-Christmas sounding as you can get, but people really seem to engage when Leslie sings and when I attempt to make a guitar sound as huge as possible. I guess maybe it resonates with people because they can authentically and honestly find themselves within the Christmas story, perhaps for the very first time. When that realization happens, our natural response is an outpouring of celebration, rejoicing and praise… so how could it possibly be a silent night??
(From Paul) How Could It Be A Silent Night is a raw and authentic look at the sights and sounds of Jesus birth. This is the story of heaven colliding with earth! This is majesty of God dwelling with man! This is the unfolding of God’s plan to redeem humanity! A song like this helps us to posture our hearts rightly on the wonder of it all. Christmas can’t get here fast enough. Get ready to sing this amazing song Waypoint People.
HOW COULD IT BE A SILENT NIGHT
Words and Music: Clayton & Leslie Wakefield
VERSE 1
The sun hung heavy in the west
Daylight began to fade
Shepherds keep a watchful eye
Over where their flocks had lain
Bethlehem in the distance
A couple of miles away
The City of David prepped for night
It was just a normal day
PRE-CHORUS 1
No lookin’ for a savior in a tiny little town
Things would change forever
When the sun went down
CHORUS 1
There was a new star shining bright
That lit up the countryside that night
Who could’ve imagined that the light
Had come to change our lives
The piercing sound of a baby’s cry
The song of the angels filled the sky
Glory to God who reigns on high
How could it be a silent night
VERSE 2
An inn keeper sighed and groaned
As he swept the dirt away
So many people, so much noise
And demands being made
His patience wearing thin
He offers stable and some hay
The city of David prepped for night
It was the busiest of days
PRE-CHORUS 2
Far too much activity
In that tiny little town
That would miss the scene unfolding
If they didn’t look around
CHORUS 2
There was a new star shining bright
That lit up the countryside that night
Who could’ve imagined that the light
Had come to change our lives
The piercing sound of a baby’s cry
The song of the angels filled the sky
Glory to God who reigns on high
How could it be a silent night
BRIDGE
Is it true He’s King of Kings
Is it true He’s Prince of Peace
How could the Lord of Lords show up where
No one expected Him to be
How could He be divinity
But take on flesh for all to see
How could a baby born that early morn
Change all eternity
What does this mean for me and you
If we believe that to be true
What if the wonder of this story
Brings us life anew
LAST CHORUS
There was a new star shining bright
That lit up the countryside that night
Who could’ve imagined that the light
Had come to change our lives
So let the wonder reignite
We have a chance to testify
Celebrate and glorify
How could it be a silent night
It couldn’t be a silent night