Christmas Song #3 – And it’s a strange one.

Due to my disgust that the “greatest Christmas songs” never seem to relate at all to the birth of Christ, a couple of years ago I put in my vote for the greatest Christmas song of all time, and wrote a series of articles for the Christmas season.

Since it really could be a tie, I followed up last year with The Greatest Christmas Song II.

Well, since I’ve been having fun and some of you have even enjoyed these posts, and since there are probably enough Christmas songs to last the rest of my life, I thought I’d come back for a third round. But this year, it won’t be a Christmas carol that’s necessarily the “greatest”. Instead, it’s a personal favourite. But – should it be?

Actually, there are some very odd things about this particular Christmas carol. It could be argued that it says very different things depending on how you read it. It’s like an optical illusion, that looks totally different to two different people!

As you know, there are some very vague “Christian” songs, which don’t say much of substance – and in fact are used by both true Christians and those who are very far from any kind of biblical faith. Because they’re rather vague. And that would be my complaint about many Christmas songs.

This particular song about the “first Christmas” leaves out some rather important facts – as we’ll see! (No, really – you’ll be surprised. I sure was, when I realized it.) And yet – there are still profound truths, if read along with the Bible. So what do we do with it?

And then there’s the author, and his personal connection to absolute heresy. It’s – well, it’s complicated! But that’s what makes the whole story of Christmas Song #3 so interesting.

This song was written in the USA during some very turbulent times. For example, an important Fugitive Slave Act was passed, part of a series of changes and compromises that would eventually lead to the American Civil War.

And speaking of war, the Mexican-American War was just ending, resulting in huge tracts of land officially becoming part of the USA. The results of this war are still strongly felt in both countries.

Nation against nation, brother against brother, race against race – and against this canvas, a minister first published a new Christmas carol that we still sing today. Next week you can find out what it was, and we’ll dive into the first two verses.