Hark, How All The Welkin Rings

Many a commentator has called the first chapter of Luke a preface to a great story—the foretelling of a herald, the prophecy of a child, the return of the throne of a king—the second chapter being the culmination of that story. The Roman world is called to a census. A young couple journeys to Bethlehem to be counted. A child is born. “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.’”

I suppose to most Christians, like myself, along with those who are not, the Christmas story is often viewed as wonderful in its familiarity, calling forth each year my childhood delight in the monotonous; enticing my imaginations to a stable and a story. Christmas hymns, full of imagery and story, are piped through as background music at various retail centers.  It has been at my favorite coffee shop and been the cause of not only me but others sitting close by to hum along or commenting, "love that song," and itching to tell of Christmas' past.  I notice manger scenes can still be found as part of familiar Christmas décor in church's landscape.  Of course fewer and fewer on the public property.  Yet, I've been asking myself and thinking, during this past week of the hustle and bustle of preparing for the special day, might it be, for us who the Advent scenes are most familiar, it may also be a story that can find surprisingly unfamiliar each year. Is it similar to a child delighting in another reading of a bedtime favorite?  Is the Nativity in the front of a church somehow still startling in its mysteries? Is the child still out of place in the manger? Is the Christmas story full of profound paradox. 

I am drawn in, each evening, to viewing only a bit of world news and a few days ago, I caught a report from Bethlehem. The reporter captured on film the horror of what has been happening for years on the eve of this season, all be it for the sake of tourist less than normal right now.  What my eyes saw certainly was not adding up to “the little town of Bethlehem” which I have always imagined in pageants and songs. The harsh reality of God becoming a child in the midst of the cold and dark world suddenly seemed a blaring proclamation: The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. I have had a rushed refreshing of my mind and reflection of my heart as I ruminate on: God taking on flesh to live here, with me, in all this chaos and fighting and despair.

I was reminded this past Friday evening by the American Minute app, that is a great tool of learning for me that upon his conversion, Charles Wesley began hymn writing as a means of attempting to capture the strange hope of a God among us, which was persistently stirring in his mind. Though a few of the words have long since been changed, one of Charles Wesley’s 6,000 hymns is a widely beloved declaration of the Incarnation. Seeking to convey in pen and ink a Christmas story both familiar to my heart and startling in its wonder, Wesley wrote:

Hark, how all the welkin rings,
“Glory to the King of kings;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!” 

For Wesley, the Christ child in the manger was forever an indication of the great lengths God will go to reconcile his creation, a savior willing to descend that we might be able to ascend. “Welkin” is an old English term meaning “the vault of heaven.” Wesley was telling the radical story of the Incarnation: All of heaven opening up for the birth of a king and the rebirth of humanity. 

Father, God I am eternally thankful for Your love.  Enough love in sending Jesus Christ to earth making it possible for my rebirth. I commit to singing with pure joy:   Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!”  Amen