A Song to Light the Dark

December 16th

A Song to Light the Dark

 

Listen to the reflection here… (also available on Spotify HERE )

When God is doing something new, the air is full of singing.

He sang human kind into being in the beginning (Genesis 1:27), He called Abraham with a poem (Genesis 2:2-3), Moses and Miriam sang over Israel as they left Egypt (Exodus 15:1), Moses sang over Israel as they prepared to enter the promised land (Deuteronomy 32:1-43) and Hannah bursts into song as her son Samuel begins his career in God’s service (1 Samuel 2).

Now Mary (and later Zechariah) joins the song, singing over another new beginning, another turning point, the turning point on which the earth now turns. And soon Mary’s song will be echoed by angels chorusing the coming of this new born King.

Theologian, William H. Willimon observed that ‘When God makes a move into history, voiceless people who have had nothing but dirges on their lips, break into song.’*

The season of singing has come!

But if you think these songs are just merry ditty’s, cosy carols or cheery choruses look more closely. Listen more deeply.

There is a whole lot more going on.

Mary begin’s her song with her face turned towards God in worship and thankfulness.

‘And Mary said:

‘My soul glorifies the Lord

and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,

for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,

for the Mighty One has done great things for me –
holy is his name.’

Luke 1:47-49

When we draw close to God in worship, when we seek His face, He reveals His heart to us, Who He truly is and what He truly cares about. Worship becomes revelation. And revelation becomes revolution…

‘His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.

He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.

He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.

He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.

He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful

to Abraham and his descendants for ever,
just as he promised our ancestors.’

Luke 50-55

Mary caught a glimpse of God’s heart and her seeing became a singing, singing the shape of God’s heart, the song of God’s longing for justice, righteousness and mercy on His earth. The song of the upside-down right-way-up nature of the Kingdom of this baby born King.

This song to topple empires.

This song to pierce the dark.

Many many years before her, Moses had likewise drawn close to God in worship and said to Him, “show me your Glory” and God had likewise revealed the shape of His heart to this shepherd He’d chosen to lead His unruly people.

 “Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the Lord. And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, ‘The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished’         

Exodus 34:5-7a

God’s heart beats with rhythms of compassion, grace, love, faithfulness, forgiveness and justice. But this world dances to a different tune, way out of time with God’s beating heart. So when God reveals His heart, His nature to those whose faces are turned to Him their worship becomes revelation. And revelation calls for revolution…

William H. Willimon writes that ‘Much of the Bible is story and a great deal of it is poetry. Be careful with such poetry. It is more than just sweet religious thoughts. It has a subversive political function. By singing the Bible’s songs an old, established order is being dismantled and a new order is being put in place. The mighty are being brought low and the wretched of the earth are being lifted up. People who are nobodies are being formed into somebodies.’*

This song this teenage girl, Mary, sings, this song inspired purely by seeing God’s heart and then seeing everything else through His eyes, this song Mary sings will so threaten the power structures of this world that repeatedly throughout history it has been banned from public spaces.

Missionary and author, Craig Greenfield writes that “During the British rule in India, the singing of the Magnificat in church was prohibited because of its incendiary lyrics. So, on the final day of British rule in India, Gandhi, who was not a Christian, requested that this song be read in all places where the British flag was being lowered.

During the 1980s, the government of Guatemala found the ideas raised by Mary’s proclamation of God’s special concern for the poor to be so dangerous and revolutionary that the government banned any public recitation of Mary’s words.

The junta in Argentina banned Mary’s song after the Mothers of the Disappeared displayed its words on placards in the capital plaza. 

The government of El Salvador banned this song in the 1980’s. And so on and so on – all over the world, oppressive defenders of Empire have found these words too explosive for everyday use.”

This teenager’s song was not simply a lovely Christmas carol. It was a battle cry. A declaration of war upon the corrupt and oppressive kingdoms of this world and an announcement heralding the coming of the one true King. This true King of justice, love, and faithfulness.

“A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.

The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him –
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of might,
the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord –

and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.

He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
or decide by what he hears with his ears;

 but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.”

Isaiah 11:1-4a

This ancient prophetic poetry describes what it looks like when God Himself is King. Subversive poetry. Songs to topple empires.

We make the mistake of thinking that power is essential to subdue power; that political might and money is what is needed to turn this aching world around. We have never understood. This world doesn’t need another promise from a politician. This world doesn’t need another military operation to ‘save’. There is not enough money in the world to heal the dark.

This world needs this song of this simple teenager from Nazareth, singing the shape of God’s heart, the song of God’s intention for justice, righteousness and mercy on His earth. The song of the upside-down right-way-up nature of the Kingdom of this baby born King. This song born within us when we gaze into God’s face, where worship becomes revelation, and revelation becomes revolution.

This song igniting countless small revolutions in human hearts, initiating justice and compassionate action in partnership with God as King.

If you want to heal this world…

Magnify: Look into the face of God.

Glorify: Let all you see become a song.

A song to topple empires.

A song to pierce the dark.

*Shaped By The Bible, William H. Willimon, Abingdon Press, 1990 p73-74

** Craig Greenfield ‘The War on Christmas is not what you Think’ www.craiggreenfield.com/blog/waronchristmas