As I sat in a church in Jerusalem listening the words of this beautiful Christmas song, I became immediately uncomfortable.  Living in a place where immense injustice is perpetrated in the name of, and by, Israel, I feel uneasy when I listen to hymn and Old Testament references to a righteous Israel. I understand it's a gross misreading of Scripture to equate "Israel" with the State of Israel; it's more accurate to equate "Israel" with the people of God. But nevertheless, the word "Israel" conjures up some negative feelings and emotions inside of me because of my experiences in Palestine/Israel.  But, as the verses progressed and eventually came back to repeat the first verse, I was struck by the power, hope, and the significance of these words.