“Joy to the World!” A
Christmas Carol and a future Blue Christmas.
I wish ‘Joy to the world’ were the prime Christian theme EVERY Christmas
...as well as every other day of the year for those who aspire to walk the path
of Jesus. That’s my religious fantasy. And now a possible action plan. The Christmas Carol was inspired by “Psalm 98”. It “sent the
English poet Isaac Watts to his desk in 1719 to pen one of the most beloved
hymns of all time. “ Robert Knight “When heaven and nature
sing: The wonders of God's
love.” December 25, 2023 Washington
Times op-ed. Knight said “It was a melding of heaven and earth, with heaven providing the
light and love that make life worth living.” (full op-ed and song lyrics at the bottom). This is one of two reasons why this Christmas
season will be my last depressing ‘Bah-humbug’ season.
Knight’s Washington Times op-ed and the Washington
Post editorial both offered me a new vision of how Americans and maybe humanity
could transform this commercialized consumption-oriented holiday season into increasingly
urgent need to take care of nature - and each other. The idea of a “Blue Christmas” detailed
in the Washington Post 'This Christmas, share the most precious gift: Your
time" made me cry like a baby.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/12/24/christmas-loneliness-community-time/
I’ve never been able to reconcile the dark gap between the
joy expected of everyone in this special season of love versus the unimaginable
toll of preventable deaths, suffering, loneliness, and environmental
destruction that “we the people” and our governments continue to allow.
There is no rational, moral, or justifiable excuse for this debilitating
greed, apathy, indifference, and the belief that we are separate and independent
from one another and nature.
The epidemic of loneliness in the US alone has been called
our nation’s greatest health problem by our nation’s own Surgeon General. And that burden is growing globally with the
hopelessness more people feel each day given the mounting unsustainable trends
and growing political and religious polarization. The Blue Christmas meme could go
global if Christianity and all other religions believing in the Golden Rule
could understand the reality that “Everything is connected, everything is
interdependent, so everything is vulnerable.... And that’s why this has to be
more than whole of government, a more than whole of nation [effort]. It really
has to be a global effort....” Jen Easterly, Director of Cyber &
Infrastructure Security Agency, Oct. 29, 2021. CISA is the newest US federal
agency.
It is in this light that of the words in the first paragraph
of the Declaration of Independence “the Laws of Nature and Nature’s God” can be
best understood as true ‘faith based’ patriotism And what is possible for the sustainability
of nature, humanities’ future, and all nations.
Every day for the last 30 years I have monitored both the moderate
Washington Post and the conservative Washington Times newspapers searching
for relevant stories on current issues related to our health, culture, community,
national, and global security. I note both
troubling trends and workable/affordable solutions for seemingly hopeless problems. And today,
it feels like I hit the jackpot.
Sure! The Israel/Hamas
and Ukraine/Russia wars (and other conflicts we don’t hear much about have no
peaceful end in sight. Followed by no
solution to the dysfunction of our political two-party system dominated by
Christian and Jewish citizens. Not until
we collectively grasp and globally apply the self-evident truths of the founding
principles so wisely expressed in our Declaration of Independence.
After this day I will no longer shed tears over this profoundly
sad and deadly disconnect. Christmas for
me will now focus on a community event to bring people together instead of
being focused on a family gathering to exchange gifts and overeat. I’m certain this is what Jesus would most
approve of. And instead of being a warm/stressful
but unmemorable family gathering it could be growing spiritual community event.
Washington Post editorial board’s opinion 'This
Christmas, share the most precious gift: Your time" December 25, 2023
The holidays are a season of joy, which for many Americans
peaks on Christmas Day. Yet there is another side to the celebrations, as the
Rev. Stephen Blonder Adams of downtown Cleveland’s Old Stone Church, a
Presbyterian congregation, learned when he began advertising a “Blue Christmas”
service last year. The idea was to offer a gathering just for people struggling
with sadness and loss; he expected five attendees or so. Nearly 60 showed up,
including an elderly couple who drove 45 minutes from Akron to attend.
Christian congregations around the country are seeing a
similar trend: high demand for holiday-season services specially designed for
those who find grief and loneliness as much a part of the yuletide experience
as parties and gifts.
At Washington National Cathedral, the Rev. Canon Jan Naylor
Cope began this year’s Blue Christmas service on Dec. 19 with this message: “We
take time this evening to acknowledge that the holidays are emotionally
difficult for many. For those who have lost loved ones, this time of year can
be lonely. For those who have lost relationships, employment or suffered
financial or any other setbacks, it can be a time of fear, uncertainty, pain
and confusion.” Later in the evening, the Rev. Canon Leonard L. Hamlin Sr.
offered hope: “For all of us who have gathered and find ourselves in need
tonight, we are not forgotten.”
The United States and much of the world are in the midst of
a loneliness epidemic. Despite being connected to seemingly everything online,
people are struggling to make deep and meaningful connections in real life. The
coronavirus pandemic forced many to retreat — literally — inside their homes,
and more than 1.1 million Americans died of covid-19. The nation is still
dealing with the grief and fallout, even as social media culture urges society
to move on. Young people, especially, are finding it difficult to build
in-person friendships and connections again. And a body of research shows that
a sense of connection to others determines well-being as much as physical or
medical factors.
Each December, it’s easy to get caught up in the seasonal
rush. To finish work projects. To decorate the house. To wrap the presents. To
bake cookies. To check the to-do list — repeatedly. But this Christmas, let’s
remember that the best gift of all is giving of our time. A year from now, almost no one will remember
whether the turkey or ham was perfectly cooked. What friends and family will
remember is who was around the table for the meal. Or who took an extra moment
at work to really listen to what you had to say. Or that person who shared a
laugh with you and made your day a bit brighter as you both waited in the long
checkout line at the grocery store.
Many of the most beloved Christmas tales and movies — such
as “A Christmas Carol,” “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “Home Alone” — convey the
message that life is better when lived among community and family. It’s a moral
so familiar, it can seem trite. Yet the United States is a nation diverging
from its lore, now often described as a nation divided — or self-absorbed. Many
lament that volunteerism is declining and nonprofits are struggling to find
people to help those in need. Social clubs and other groups that make up
America’s uniquely vibrant civil society are fraying.
But there is reason to hope. This month, someone asked on
the social media site Reddit, “Is there an everyday skill the typical American
possesses that people outside of the U.S. typically struggle with?” One of the
top answers was Americans’ skill at talking with complete strangers. Americans
are known to strike up conversations everywhere — in elevators, in checkout
lines and in restaurants with the diners sitting at the next table over. It’s a
reminder of our ability and our yearning to connect with others.
This Christmas, take time to
reach out to family, friends, colleagues, the neighbor you haven’t heard from
in a while. Say hello to a stranger and ask whether they’re okay. Spend that
extra minute. Time is the most valuable present anyone can give — or receive.
WASHINGTON Times: Best
Christmas carol “When
heaven and nature sing: The
wonders of God's love.” By Robert
Knight December 25, 2023
|
At Christmastime, we're surrounded by sights
and sounds that remind us not only that God loves us but also all of his
creation. It was Psalm 98 that sent
the English poet Isaac Watts to his desk in 1719 to pen one of the most
beloved hymns of all time, "Joy to the World." The psalm begins with a celebration
about singing to the Lord a "new song." Midway through, it says: All the ends of the earth have
seen the salvation of our God. Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth;
Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises. … Let the sea roar, and all
its fullness, The world and those who dwell in it.” Nature and humanity were instantly sanctified
when God embodied himself as a baby born in Bethlehem to a Jewish virgin.
This was no esoteric outpouring of a personality-free "force."
It was a melding of heaven and earth, with heaven providing the light and
love that make life worth living. In "Joy to the World," every living
thing celebrates the birth of Christ, even "fields and floods, rocks,
hills, and plains" that "repeat the sounding joy." The opening verse exuberantly proclaims: Joy to the world, the Lord is
come! Let earth receive her King; Let every heart prepare Him room, And
heav'n and nature sing, And heav'n and nature sing, And heav'n, and heav'n,
and nature sing. About 3,500 years ago, under divine
direction, Moses wrote the Book of Genesis, explaining that nature and the
universe were the creation of a God who wanted not only to become known to
people but also to be worshipped. To ancient humans, nature was often viewed as
a strange mix of mystical forces that were sometimes useful and often
dangerous. Because it is our bent to worship something, nature became an
extension of various gods who, according to myth, capriciously interfaced
with people. Time and again, although blessed with direct
revelation, including the Ten Commandments, God's chosen people — the nation
of Israel — succumbed to the pagan customs of the surrounding peoples, some
of whom they had conquered. When God had enough of their idol worship and
child sacrifice, he smote them badly, only to forgive and restore them when
they repented. It happened over and over, and it's how God deals with us,
letting our sins take us to self imposed bad outcomes before we ask
forgiveness and are restored. But why does God require worship when God
doesn't need anything from us to run the universe? Because the Lord is holy and gave us life, we
do it out of love and gratitude. God also knows that if we don't worship him,
we will fall into worshipping idols of our own making: carved wooden figures,
bank balances, iPhones, sports teams and movie stars. We're also tempted either to treat nature
badly by draining it of any meaning beyond the material or to worship it
instead of its maker. Moderns like to make fun of the ancients, who
saw mystical forces in the stars and clouds and heard voices in the roar of
the seas. Having achieved so much through science and industry, we sometimes
forget how little we know about reality and worlds yet to be glimpsed. We forgo the poetry of creation at our own
expense. Infinite variety astounds us in both directions, from a million
moving parts in each human cell to a cosmos full of galaxies millions of
light-years away. A healthy, joyful appreciation of its mysteries as a
springboard to spiritual insight into God's love is what C.S. Lewis called
"the deeper magic," not to be confused with witchcraft or parlor
tricks. Behind it all is a God who obviously has a sense of humor since he
created us. But God also exudes justice. He does not take sin lightly, having
shown us better ways to live. But God also has such a deep love for us that
he sent part of himself — his only begotten Son Jesus — to live a brief,
miraculous life 2,000 years ago before dying for the sins of the world. After
Isaac Watts wrote "Joy to the World," music publisher Lowell Mason
in Boston put it to music 117 years later, and it became one of the most
beloved Christmas carols of all time. It is the Sustainable Development Goals
humanity must rally around to take care of nature and our human family. Failing that...our descent into hell on earth
is inevitable. The final verse is sublime: He
rules the world with truth and grace, And makes the nations prove The glories
of His righteousness, And wonders of His love, And wonders of His love, And
wonders, wonders, of His love. If you listen with an open heart, whether on
a snowy city street or on a tropical path, you can feel the deeper magic. And
you might hear heaven and nature sing. Robert Knight is a columnist for The Washington Times. His
website is roberthknight.com. Copyright (c) 2023
Washington Times , Edition 12/25/2023 |
***************************
Joy to the
World with lyrics is a Popular Christmas carol.
Praising God and his earth and nature creation.
Joy to the
world, the Lord is come
Let Earth
receive her King
Let every heart
prepare Him room
And Heaven and
nature sing
And Heaven and
nature sing
And Heaven, and
Heaven, and nature sing
Joy to the
Earth, the Savior reigns
Let all their
songs employ
While fields
and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
Repeat the
sounding joy
Repeat the
sounding joy
Repeat, repeat
the sounding joy
He rules the
world with truth and grace
And makes the
nations prove
The glories of
His righteousness
And wonders of
His love (and wonders of His love)
And wonders of
His love (and wonders of His love)
And wonders,
wonders of His love
Joy to the
world, the Lord is come
Let Earth
receive her King
Let every heart
prepare Him room
And Heaven and
nature sing (and Heaven and nature sing)
And Heaven and
nature sing (and Heaven and nature sing)
And Heaven, and
Heaven, and nature sing
And Heaven, and
Heaven, and nature sing
Joy to the
world, the Lord is come
Let Earth
receive her King
Let every heart
prepare Him room
And Heaven and
nature sing (and Heaven and nature sing)
And Heaven and
nature sing (and Heaven and nature sing)
And Heaven, and
Heaven, and nature sing
And Heaven, and
Heaven, and nature sing
You may
remember the 'other' Joy to the World' song's hippy lyrics from 1970
(Evidence of
love for nature and replenishing the human race ;-) .. suggesting some affinity
for "the Laws of Nature and Nature's God" (take care of nature and
one another)
"if I
were the king of the world
Tell you
what I'd do
I'd throw
away the cars and the bars and the war”
Make sweet love
to you
Sing it now,
joy to the world
All the boys
and girls
Joy to the
fishes in the deep blue sea
Joy to you and
me."
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