Sunday, December 11, 2005
Christmas Fending Off Attack from all Corners
The New Oxford Review is upset about an alteration in the lyrics of "Silent Night" for a public school program.
Cold in the night,
no one in sight,
winter winds whirl and bite.
How I wish I were happy and warm,
safe with my family out of the storm ...
I suppose there are all sorts of reasons why people don't like their songs messed with. I was thinking back to a version of "Shaving Cream" which is very irreverent:
Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
the little Lord Jesus fell on his sweet head.
The cattle were startled, the sheep pitched a fit,
as little Lord Jesus lay deep in the ...
Shaving cream, be nice and clean.
Shave every day and you'll always look keen ...
etc.
Church songs get their words changed all the time. Much of it ("No Way, Hosea" or "Gift of Chocolate Cake" or "How Great Is Art (Carney)") is more or less in good fun. I can't seem to get myself worked up about the submerging of Christmas into a generic winter holiday season. I think there are some Christians who would be a bit upset at the prospect of their children singing Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, or other religious songs from outside our tradition. If people want Christmas songs, we have three weekends, plus the days in between. Don't see the need to insist that every little tyke in the winter program sing the Christian words.
