O Come All Ye ???

One of the great things about old hymns is the theology that intertwines them. Many of them can be considered creeds set to music. But not all are "accurate". I want to talk about one such hymn; a beloved Christmas carol sung every year. It is a great song, overall, but I think it is a little misguided. The original lyric, credited to John Francis Wade (1711-1786) is as follows:

O Come All Ye Faithful
Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him,
Born the King of Angels;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

O Come All Ye Faithful. Why the call to the faithful? Christ came to those who were sick and in need of a physician, not necessarily to those who were considered "righteous". He came for all of us, and all of us should come.

Joyful and triumphant. The first to hear of the news were shepherds in the field - and they were not joyful. They were scared out of their wits. He calls us all, in the joys and sorrows, to come to Him.

O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem. This line sets the state of our Lord - the child in the manger - this side of the cross.

Come and behold Him, Born the King of Angels. Angels have been on the outside, awestruck by the concept of grace - unmerited, unearned favor - upon mankind. Born the King of us all.

O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord. Nothing I can say there. Just adore Him.

O Come All Ye Faithful, hurting, in sorrow, doubting, seeking, etc.
Joyful, scared, longing, and triumphant, lost, broken,
He's come, ye, He's come, ye, to right where you are.
Come and behold Him, Born our King and Savior;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

Merry Christmas!

© Emittravel 2012