It being Christmastide (it will be as of sunset tomorrow, shut up), it is a season of joy, peace, and happiness. It is, also, for some of us, a season of sadness, darkness, and loss. Some of us have been parted from loved ones, by death or distance or disagreement, or in a dozen other ways; some of us are under the shadow of financial or vocational difficulty; some of us are experiencing religious, moral, or philosophical perplexities that interfere with the smooth functioning of our lives. And -- though they may continue to be joyful -- the holidays can be an emotionally complicated time on that account. Its very curious to me that, in our culture, we practically need permission to grieve or be sad. What is the one thing that virtually everyone says when they cry in public, as theyre regaining control of themselves (and note that we think of crying in public and being in control of ourselves as incompatible)? Im sorry. How many people go into mourning even when a family member dies, as opposed to trying to carry on as if nothing has happened? How many people conceal their use of antidepressants, which are *freaking medicine*? I think its significant that the twelve days of Christmas traditionally, if accidentally, acknowledged this complexity. Its second day (Dec. 26th) is the Feast of Saint Stephen, the first martyr; its fourth, the Feast of the Holy Innocents, the children murdered by King Herod in his pursuit of the One he saw as a rival to his power; its fifth, the memorial of Saint Thomas Becket, murdered as he prayed Vespers in Canterbury Cathedral. But it may not have been an accident. Many carols recollect the Redemption, and its specific facet of the Passion, in verses or parts of verses that are now often forgotten in our happiness-maddened culture -- such as the, now rarely-sung, full second verse of What Child Is This: Why lies he in such mean estate, Where ox and ass are feeding? Good Christian, fear: for sinners here The silent Word is pleading. Nails, spear, shall pierce Him through, The Cross be borne, for me, for you. Hail, hail the Word-Made-Flesh, The Babe, the Son of Mary. I have always detested the freely administered order to Keep Christ in Christmas! -- I dont mind *actually doing* so, personally, but telling other people how to celebrate a holiday (and one whose complex origins include sources quite independent of Christianity) seems more than a little obnoxious. However, if were going to do so, I think we should do so partly in this way, remembering in Christs need-pinched nativity and subsequent death by torture -- ideas bound together by the symbol of myrrh, gift of the Magi (Matt 2.11), painkiller (Mark 15.53), and fragrance of embalmers (John 19.40) -- and remembering those others who, in their capacity, partake of that passion now. TL;DR I want to send this song to anyone and everyone whos having a hard Christmas. (There are better-quality recordings readily available on YouTube *cough*orbuythesong*cough*, but this one features Sufjan himself being takingly boyish in his performance and I just couldnt resist.)
Posted on: Tue, 23 Dec 2014 17:18:29 +0000
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