Will you know him?
“Will you know him when you see him?
Will he look like any other man?
Will you recognize your savior?
Will you know your redeemer?
As the child in Bethlehem?”
–Chorus of “Will You Know Him?” by Beverly Smith
Alongside millions of Americans, I had to cut my Thanksgiving visit short with my family due to a winter storm that was predicted to have significant snowfall. I’ll admit that I wasn’t thrilled that I had to spend another four hours in the car just 24 hours after I made the initial trek to Indiana.
So, to keep myself awake and entertained as I made the journey home, I decided that it was time to finally pull up my Christmas playlist from last year, re-familiarizing myself with the selections that I stumbled upon from a different Christmas time as I drove down that endless highway.
Along the drive, a version of “Will You Know Him?” played and I found myself singing along with the chorus. Beverly Smith, a folk musician in North Carolina, composed the song, inspired by early country music from the early 1900s. “Will You Know Him?” isn’t considered among the vast repertoire of Christmas carols like “Silent Night,” or “Joy to the World.” Yet, this song does what many familiar Christmas carols do—it shares the story of Jesus’ birth with a stirring melody, giving room to guitar and fiddle accompaniment throughout the song and beautiful harmonies layered in the chorus.
The chorus offers us a unique reflection along the way as we make our journey to the stable during this Advent season. Together, we are anticipating, hoping, and preparing for the arrival of Jesus. Though we know the Christmas story, it is also compelling to ask ourselves if we will recognize our redeemer in this newborn who is coming. As we eagerly anticipate the holiday fanfare that takes over stores, parks, and social media and as we prepare for Jesus’ arrival through familiar Advent hymns, liturgical traditions, and other seasonal rituals, will we fully know who we are looking for? In a world that recognizes hunger, division, and violence, will we see Jesus amid the chaos and messiness?
The chorus isn’t just about our own journey to the manger, but about what God has prepared, and is preparing to do. Between the chaos of the world, and the business of our lives, especially around the holidays, God is at work in ways that we will never fully expect or know—in ways that may be recognizable and in ways that aren’t as clear. And together, we have this time to prepare for this mystery of God—to prepare to look, to see, and to recognize God at work in our world, in our lives, and among one another. Together, we continue our Advent travels to the stable, sharing what we know about the savior to arrive along the way, and preparing together for what, or even who, we will see in the weeks to come.
-Maddy Tyler, pastor in residency
