Performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mzgt7_UBIYo&list=PLRB9xddXCxeg8TQ7RT4PxFdPQAG7A1ExM&index=12
Happy Christmas!
I had to leave this one till last, because it’s probably my favourite (and that’s in a strong field). The lyrics are by Charles Wesley, the great 18th century hymn writer and brother of the founder of Methodism, John Wesley. The words were adapted into more-or-less their modern form by George Whitfield, one of the Wesleys’ contemporaries who had a big impact on the church in America. The original tune Wesley intended it to be used with stays in hymnbooks as the tune to the Easter hymn ‘Christ the Lord is risen today’ but the carol is usually sung today to an adaption from a work written by Felix Mendelssohn to celebrate the anniversary of the European introduction of the printing press. (There's more on Hark! including a photo of the manuscript here.)
Once again we start with the angels, God’s heralds, bringing a message in song to the people of earth (‘angel’ comes from a word meaning messenger). In the Wesley original, the first line was “Hark how all the welkin rings” (welkin being an old word for sky or ‘heavens’). As ever, the angels’ message is a paraphrase of Luke 2 v14: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.” There’s the call for the whole world to join in the song of praise: “Joyful all ye nations rise/ Join the triumph of the skies”.
The carol continues to be a good summary of the imagery and references we’ve seen in other carols. As well as the references to the “newborn King” that we’ve seen Herod was keen to dispose of, there are references to other prophecies of who this baby was and what he would do. There’s Prince of Peace, (Isaiah 9v 6-7) the ruler who would bring peace and justice to his people; and Son or sun of Righteousness, who would bring healing not just for individuals but for the nations (Malachi 4:2).
Most importantly, Emmanuel is back again, the constant theme we’ve been following since the start of advent. Christmas, the celebration of God’s coming to earth as Jesus, God with us, experiencing the world as we experience it, joy and sorrow, hurt and hope, fear and love. And because of his time on earth, he is able to change how humanity relates to God, to bring hope, light in the darkness of the mess the world seems to be in.
“Light and life to all he brings
Risen with healing in his wings”
I hope you are able to see some of that light this year.
Happy Christmas!
