Although I'm not sure they got it all right, the song made me think about Joseph and what he faced in a new way. I'm probably also relating to him in a new way because I'm an expectant father now, and, every now and then, I find myself thinking, "Man, what have I gotten myself into?" I bet Joseph was really thinking this when his supposedly pure fiancé showed up pregnant and claimed the Holy Spirit did it. Not many guys would sign up to marry a girl who's immoral AND crazy! As The Killers put it, "Would his faith stand still, or would he run away?"
Well, he didn't run away, and thank God he didn't, because Mary would have had a hard time without him. He stood, even though it meant he had to endure a lot of whispers, gossip, and questions about this son who probably didn't look like him. It also meant being hunted, and fleeing as a refugee to a country where he didn't have a job, a family, or know the language. And God never told him the whole plan; he gave him just enough guidance, with each angelic dream, to get him to the next step. Joseph just had faith enough to take those steps and, step by step, he protected his child and made a home for the Hope of the World. Although Mary gets all the publicity, I'd have to say that Joseph was pretty heroic in his own right. Merry Christmas!
