Alvin M. Keeling 
Gloria in excelsis deo. This is probably the most familiar of Luke’s four gospel Christmas songs. One of my favorite times in our traditional Christmas Eve service is when one of our young people stand in front of the church and read this sweet story of the birth of Christ.
As the old King James version puts it: “And there were shepherds in the same land dwelling in the fields, tending their flocks at night. And behold, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were very afraid. . . And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory be to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth, good will towards men.” “
What comes to your mind when you hear the term glory? A victor’s crown, perhaps, draped around the shoulders of the former? A royal crown, a scepter, dresses and an entourage worthy of a king or a queen? Do you think of the shine and the blinding light?
The Greek word Luke uses here is doxa – a word which means splendor or brilliance but can also mean majesty or an exalted state. Joseph Thayer, an expert on Biblical Greek, suggests that doxa literally means “that which elicits a good opinion, that is, something has intrinsic and intrinsic value”.
To speak of the glory of God is to assert that God has intrinsic worth and worth. God’s worth does not come from the gifts or blessings we may or may not receive from God, but from the very character and nature of God. To sing with the angels, “glory to God”, is to affirm that this value is infinite in nature and exhaustive in scope.
Doxa finds its counterpart in the Hebrew concept of kavod. Also translated as “glory,” kavod refers to something heavy and of great substance. To understand this, compare a feather to a rock. When the winds come, the feather is blown back and forth with ease. The boulder, however, is a thing of substance and will not be shaken but will remain steadfast even in the midst of an uproar. Likewise, the glory of God is a thing of substance and significance, which is not tossed about by the changing winds of circumstances.
It is the glory of God – the glory witnessed by angels, the glory we sing about in Christmas carols, and the glory given to the baby in the manger – that holds us firmly in this Christmas time. We must remember that we are anchored to a God of greatness and consequence. We are held by a God of wisdom, power, power, goodness, greatness, and grace.
This Christmas, I invite you to join the angels and offer your own doxology (literally, “a word of praise”). How has God held you firm over the past year? How has God helped you get through a difficult situation? How has God been your anchor or your shelter in the midst of the storm? Take a few moments this Christmas to offer a word of thanks and praise, not only for what God has done, but for who God is.
Steven Norris is Senior Pastor at First Baptist Church in Griffin.
Steven Norris is Senior Pastor at First Baptist Church in Griffin.
