(H. Berlioz, translated Source)
Performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=4h7LZ9RmcCo
I don't know if you have pieces of music, or films, that are guaranteed to make you cry? Well, the third verse of this carol- if I get that far- seems to be that for me. I was in tears just reading it, and I don't even know why. So apologies if this entry is a bit less coherent than usual.
This carol, originally in French, was created by composer Hector Berlioz and formed part of a choral work called “L’enfance du Christ”, telling the story of Herod’s killing of the children and Mary and Joseph’s flight to Egypt with the young Jesus. In an era where we are continually told to watch out for refugees, for those seeking asylum and safety from threats in other countries, it’s a pertinent reminder that God’s own son had to flee from his homeland and seek asylum in Egypt.
Of all places for the Son of God to go for shelter, Egypt might seem the least likely. Israel’s previous history with Egypt had been troubled, to say the least. In Genesis, Abraham gets into trouble when he goes to Egypt and lies that his wife is his sister, because he is afraid that otherwise he will be killed so that the Egyptians can sleep with her. Then Abraham’s great-grandson Joseph (of Technicolour Dreamcoat fame) is sold into Egyptian slavery by his brothers, who then end up moving there under his protection to avoid a famine. Many years later Moses leads the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, only for them to spend four decades wandering in the desert because they were more willing to go back to Egypt than to obey God. The idea of God’s son voluntarily going to Egypt as a place of safety seems the opposite of what you would expect from the Old Testament. And yet- the Israelite prophet Hosea prophesied God as saying; “Out of Egypt I have called my son” (Hosea 11). In normal prophetic fashion, this prophecy has two (at least) interpretations- that it refers to the Exodus, and that it refers to Jesus’ family fleeing to Egypt for shelter from Herod.
The lyrics, at least in English, tell how, although the family will have to flee, they will not be alone. Joseph and Mary will care for the baby, and God will care for them all- they are reassured that even on the dangerous journey, even in Egypt, they will be safe. It’s perhaps also a reminder that thanks to Jesus, God is with us too, even in the metaphorical ‘wilds’ we may find ourselves in during our journey of life where things are tough and scary.
“God go with you, God protect you,
guide you safely through the wild!”
Guide you safely through the wild- it’s an image that fits well with shepherds, who would have spent a lot of time in the wild, guarding their sheep from wild animals and other threats. The fact it’s the shepherds singing is important in the middle verse:
“In the land that lies before thee,
forget not us who linger here!
May the shepherd’s lowly calling,
ever to thy heart be dear!”
It’s both a reminder that shepherds and the poor were (and are) important to Jesus and that Jesus later described himself and his role as “the Good Shepherd.” We’ll be looking more at the image of Jesus as a shepherd in a few days as it occurs in lots of carols. But this post has gone on quite long enough, so I’m going to finish with a reminder of the shepherds’ blessing, which I think applies to us as well as to Mary and Joseph.
“God go with you, God protect you,
guide you safely through the wild!”
