God bless you and yours today.
This entry was written by , posted on December 25, 2009 at 9:44 am, filed under Uncategorized. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.
This is one of my favourite carols. It’s a favourite because in its verse you find the legend of the Saint Wenceslas, Duke of Bohemia, better known in Czech as Svatý Václav. The act of giving and the miracle found within the song are deep, subtle, and wonderful.
95% of people out there don’t know more than the first verse, so may I present the whole of the carol, using DC Comics’ 2008 Holiday Special:
Good King Wenceslas looked out, on the Feast of Stephen,
When the snow lay round about, deep and crisp and even;
Brightly shone the moon that night, tho’ the frost was cruel,
When a poor man came in sight, gath’ring winter fuel.
“Hither, page, and stand by me, if thou know’st it, telling,
Yonder peasant, who is he? Where and what his dwelling?”
“Sire, he lives a good league hence, underneath the mountain;
Right against the forest fence, by Saint Agnes’ fountain.”
“Bring me flesh, and bring me wine, bring me pine logs hither:
Thou and I will see him dine, when we bear them thither.”
Page and monarch, forth they went, forth they went together;
Through the rude wind’s wild lament and the bitter weather.
“Sire, the night is darker now, and the wind blows stronger;
Fails my heart, I know not how; I can go no longer.”
“Mark my footsteps, good my page. Tread thou in them boldly
Thou shalt find the winter’s rage freeze thy blood less coldly.”
In his master’s steps he trod, where the snow lay dinted;
Heat was in the very sod which the saint had printed.
Therefore, Christian men, be sure, wealth or rank possessing,
Ye who now will bless the poor, shall yourselves find blessing.
This entry was written by , posted on December 24, 2009 at 12:07 pm, filed under Christianity, Music and tagged Advent, king, poor, songs. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.
This entry was written by , posted on December 22, 2009 at 1:45 pm, filed under Activism. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.
The last candle lit before Christmas Eve is the candle of love.
Love is one of those words that loses meaning far too quickly. We love wives and we love video games. To top it off, it sounds like a weak word. What’s the opposite of a badass? …A really loving person?
We don’t give power to love in our cultural consciousness as we should. We give power to money, things, ideas, people, memories, cultures – but love is not on the list. Even Christians, who profess a loving God, push for aligning power-structures and power-words with their faith (reason, prosperity, safety, fear) rather than champion love.
Love is a God who humbles himself to the level of his creation.
Love is a God who places himself in a marginalized group.
Love is a God who proclaims his own entrance into the world by including the excluded.
Love is a God who dies for those who hate him.
Love is a God who died for you.
Love is a God who gives us hope for peace and joy.
Love is a God seeking to bring everyone and everything home at all costs.
This is why Christmas is about Love.
WK
This entry was written by , posted on at 1:36 pm, filed under Christianity and tagged Advent, Christmas, Jesus, Love. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.
This is one of the most emotive Christmas (-y) Songs out there.
She was his girl; he was her boyfriend
She be his wife; take him as her husband
A surprise on the way, any day, any day
One healthy little giggling dribbling baby boy
The wise men came three made their way
To shower him with love
While he lay in the hay
Shower him with love love love
Love love love
Love love is all around
Not very much of his childhood was known
Kept his mother Mary worried
Always out on his own
He met another Mary for a reasonable fee, less than
Reputable as known to be
His heart was full of love love love
Love love love
Love love is all around
When Jesus Christ was nailed to the his tree
Said “oh, Daddy-o I can see how it all soon will be
I came to she’d a little light on this darkening scene
Instead I fear I spill the blood of my children all around”
The blood of our children all around
The blood of our children all around
The blood of our children all around
So the story goes, so I’m told
The people he knew were
Less than golden hearted
Gamblers and robbers
Drinkers and jokers, all soul searchers
Like you and me
Rumors insisited he soon would be
For his deviations
Taken into custody by the authorities
Less informed than he.
Drinkers and jokers. all soul searchers
Searching for love love love
Love love love
Love love is all around
Preparations were made
For his celebration day
He said “eat this bread and think of it as me
Drink this wine and dream it will be
The blood of our children all around
The blood of our children all around”
The blood of our children all around
Father up above, why in all this anger do you fill
Me up with love
Fill me love love love
Love love love
Love love
And the blood of our children all around
WK
This entry was written by , posted on December 15, 2009 at 9:01 pm, filed under Christianity, Culture, Music and tagged Advent, Christmas, Dave Matthews. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.