Advent: The Song of Christmas
“God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” comes from 15th century England, but it comes from the people, not the church. Proper church songs are somber and in Latin at the time. This song with its upbeat tempo and its use of English… (you know the language the people spoke) was even more annoying to the proper clerics because common folks would enjoy it not only by singing it but by dancing. God forbid, literally.
Of course a good song is hard to stop and folks keep singing it and they keep dancing with it too. By the time Queen Victoria was bringing about the Victorian Era, she loved the carol and it finally made the hymnals. It stars in Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol and becomes a Christmas classic in every English speaking Christmas celebration.
I have always loved this song, from the very first time my Mom and I sang it in the car on the way home from Christmas Caroling with my 4H club. But to be honest, I haven’t always loved the words. They are kind of messy with atonement theology and, well, not super inclusive of ladies but also they are so deeply connected to our history and so fun. I’m not the only person who has thought of this, because there are some gender neutral versions of the song with new words out there in the world.
Ace Collins in Stories Behind the Best-loved Songs of Christmas unpacks it a little more. See this word “merry” is written at a time when it means more like mighty or strong or brave then it means happy as we might take it today. And rest doesn’t mean to take a nap…though I suspect 15th century peasants enduring the last vestiges of European feudalism could use a nap; it means keep or make. God make you mighty, God keep you strong or resilient or brave.
And last but certainly not least is the word Gentlemen in a world where that is a proper designation of status, a raucous carol sung by any person anywhere, might just have a bit of a claim to a shared equality in the heart of faith. And all of this, I can get behind and all of this I can love singing out.
Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer was always my least favorite as an avid elementary school rule follower, I just couldn’t understand my classmates adding editorial refrains. I was sure we would be in trouble every time folks shouted LIKE A LIGHT BULB. Now I think wow, what a weird thing to yell at a bunch of kids in the elementary school cafeteria when you are singing songs and hoping, my guess is, to keep them busy and not in real trouble.
Anyway, I’m totally over it and while I didn’t really come to love the song, I can say it’s origins surprise me. A down on his luck copywriter for Montgomery Ward is hoping to craft something beautiful for his daughter. Which is sweet but at the heart of this is real pain. His wife is dying, they are in mountains of debt and his daughter is wondering about why her mom isn’t like everyone else’s mom. (You know…all the other reindeer games).
In the end May’s carefully crafted poem in the same rhythm as the Night Before Christmas becomes a Christmas classic published by Montgomery Ward. What I think is the real miracle of this Christmas story isn’t that researchers in Norway have actually studied Reindeer noses (even giving some cocaine) but that the corporate leadership gives this man his copyright as the book takes off and evolves into song, film and Christmas toys. This Midcentury Corporate decision made a lowly copywriter a rich man who gave back to the Chicago community over and over.
And that is bright, like a light bulb.
Isaiah 59:8-9
The way of peace they do not know,
and there is no justice in their paths.
Their roads they have made crooked;
no one who walks in them knows peace.
Therefore justice is far from us,
and righteousness does not reach us;
we wait for light, and lo! there is darkness;
and for brightness, but we walk in gloom.
See these Christmas songs are born in struggle and challenge. Even the ones that seem the most light and silly and easy. Because there is actually nothing super easy about life. At least not all of the time. Peace requires work and care and singing and dancing and making choices that aren’t really grate for shareholders and claiming you are mighty even if the world things you are a little bit of nothing.
And that is exactly the kind of poetry and prose Jesus grew up hearing, saying, singing, reading and living. Isaiah is like the classic rock of the Hebrew people and he knew it. That’s why every time he is in a difficult situation he quotes the goal of all prophets.
Isaiah 59:8-9
The way of peace they do not know,
and there is no justice in their paths.
Their roads they have made crooked;
no one who walks in them knows peace.
Therefore justice is far from us,
and righteousness does not reach us;
we wait for light, and lo! there is darkness;
and for brightness, but we walk in gloom.
The Christmas song is merry but it is not always happy. The Christmas song is mighty and brave and rest means leaning into it all. May we have the courage.
Amen.