The annual Borealis Chorale and Orchestra concert last Sunday and Monday included a little-known but wonderful carol, Some Children See Him. This lovely carol seems to me a lullaby for all of us:
Some Children See Him
Some children see Him lily white,
The baby Jesus born this night.
Some children see Him lily white,
With tresses soft and fair.
Some children see Him bronzed and brown,
The Lord of heav’n to earth come down.
Some children see Him bronzed and brown,
With dark and heavy hair.
Some children see Him almond-eyed,
This Savior whom we kneel beside.
Some children see Him almond-eyed,
With skin of yellow hue.
Some children see Him dark as they,
Sweet Mary’s Son to whom we pray.
Some children see him dark as they,
And, ah! they love Him, too!
The children in each different place
Will see the baby Jesus’ face
Like theirs, but bright with heavenly grace,
And filled with holy light.
O lay aside each earthly thing
And with thy heart as offering,
Come worship now the infant King.
‘Tis love that’s born tonight!
Some Children See Him was written as a Christmas carol in 1951. The U.S. was engaged in the Korean War, and had only a few years earlier been at war with Germany and Japan. The publisher website notes “The simple but moving lyrics of this carol affirmed that children of any nationality could imagine Jesus to be like them, with the underlying message that love is more important than any claim of race or nationality.”
At the Borealis concerts, the choir, soloist, and pianist so gently brought the lovely carol/lullaby to us. In the birth of Jesus, God’s gift was love, given new birth. In the music of American jazz musician Alfred Burt and words of hymn writer and church musician Wilha Huston, we receive God’s gift of music, soft as a lullaby, strong as the love God sends.
Ponder the words, and the meaning of Christmas, “lay aside each earthly thing, and with your heart as offering… come worship…tis love that’s born tonight.”
Read the words of Some Children See Him again. And then, again, listen to what you hear.
Move toward the gift of Christmas, a gift from God who creates many colors, many places, many faces— and let your heart be open and welcome for all.
(A James Taylor recording from his Christmas Album is at: youtube.com/ watch?v=qUctw_ iQ6rU).
Each month a member of the Cook County Ministerium will offer Spiritual Reflections. This month our contributor is Pastor Kris Garey, Trinity Lutheran Church, Hovland.
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