It is difficult to pick out one particular Christmas carol or hymn which encapsulates the meaning of the Christmas season. Indeed, we all have favorites—many of them go back to our family traditions. For Ed and me, the Christmas hymn, O Come O Come Emmanuel holds a special meaning. Not only does it signify the beginning of the Advent season, but its haunting refrain, “Rejoice, Rejoice, Emmanuel will come to thee O Israel,” takes us back to the roots of our faith.
Imagine if you will, a grandfather of old time sitting with his grandchildren teaching them the ancient texts which say that a Messiah would come and deliver His people. The children gathered in a semicircle as they listen in rapt attention as the beloved old fellow explained that the ‘rod of Jesse’ shall come forth. I wonder what questions these children might have asked. Perhaps their grandad would have sung the words, “O Come thou Key of David Come, and open wide our heavenly home’ as he admonished his kids with its refrain: Rejoice, Rejoice, Emmanuel will come to thee O Israel.
While it’s nice to imagine what this old hymn may have meant to Christians of long ago, what exactly can this hymn mean today? What can this possibly have to say in 2020, a year riddled with political strife, economic calamity and a global pandemic? Plenty, it seems to me! In a very real sense, each of us ‘Mourns in lonely exile here, until the Son of God Appear.’ We mourn for lost jobs. We mourn for those we have lost to COVID. We mourn for the loss of our ‘in person’ faith community, for the common love we share—in Sabbath school class, in greeting one another after service, and the warmth of fellowship that comes with Sabbath afternoon potluck! To be clear, Zoom meetings are a blessing which enable us to stay connected. Yet, Zoom can’t possibly replace the affirmation of a heartfelt Sabbath hug!
The reason I love this ancient hymn is that the chorus ends in hope! Rejoice, Rejoice, Emmanuel will come to thee O Israel! Just as surely as the Lord Go come to ancient Israel, He comes to us today. He knows the pain and the uncertainty we’re going through and division we’re living in. Still, He calls each of us to join in the glad and haunting chorus – Rejoice! Rejoice in knowing that God is with us, just as surely as he was with Israel of old.
Merry Christmas, Sligo!
Here’s a link to my favorite rendition of this hymn, sung by folksinger Joan Baez.