What Child Is This:

What Child is this who, laid to rest,
On Mary’s lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
While shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing;
Haste, haste to bring Him laud,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.

Why lies He in such mean estate,
Where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christians, fear, for sinners here
The silent Word is pleading.
Nails, spear shall pierce Him through,
The cross be borne for me, for you;
Hail, hail the Word made flesh,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.

So bring Him incense, gold, and myrrh,
Come peasant, king to own Him;
The King of kings salvation brings,
Let loving hearts enthrone Him.
Raise, raise a song on high,
The virgin sings her lullaby;
Joy, joy for Christ is born,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.

This morning in our Friday Morning Prayer Group, we were experiencing Audio and Viseo Divina…to allow music and images to speak to our hearts the love of our God – Father, Son, Spirit. It began first with praise for blessings for us and others and with heart-felt prayer for those of us suffering pain, cancer, uncertainty, need. And then…we watched the video of The Chosen Christmas special where a large group of children from young school age to high school were singing What Child Is This. 

The first time we watched and listened and then we shared our impressions and what spoke to us about the children and of those singing and those playing string instruments. The second time 3 of us noticed the background scenery. Distant hints of mountains, a field, and stormy clouds overhead as different children while singing quietly walked forward. Then as more and more children sang and played, the background went from the field to a massive outdoor building with broad steps and huge columns and back again to the fields. The crescendo built steadily as individual children sang with arms outstretched and violinists swayed with the music so beautifully played. 

I shared how seeing the barren scenery with heavy clouds overhead and hearing what child is this…I could almost feel the nearness of the baby born to us and it was about Him and me and you and those children and our prayer group and all people because that child was born for us. 

Seeing the children singing and each one so unique and different reflected all of creation so unique, varied, beautiful. God created us, His children, to be different. He loves the variety that is us and celebrates our uniqueness unlike this world that tries so hard to destroy what God has made beautiful. 

And the moments when all the children, singing, were walking toward us together, I couldn’t help but imagine all of humanity one day surging forward to our King with voices raised together and celebrating that this child born for us shared our very lives as one of us because He loves us. He loves us. What Child is this who holds such Love…our King, our Savior forever.