The Portuguese Carol

There is a fairly strong tradition that the carol we sing as “O Come All Ye Faithful” (written in Latin as "Adeste Fideles") came originally from the 17th Century King John of Portugal, who, not only ably led his newly independent country out of a period of subjugation to Spain, but was also a noted musician, song writer and lover of the arts. Our Portuguese friends in Lisbon used to love singing this carol with a particularly patriotic gusto!

But, in common with other carols, it suffers from some antiquated English words and quaint expressions that sound rather weird to our ears. There’s one line in this carol, or at least in the English translation of it, that is regularly held up as one of the worst carol lyrics ever.

           “Lo! he abhors not the Virgin’s womb”

It does sound strange, when you sing it amidst all the tinsel and candles and stuff, and it is a puzzle to our ears. But, it does indicate a particular reality of the incarnation that tends to pass us by. That is the whole utter strangeness of what it means for the divine to enter so intimately into the our humanness. It is one thing to consider God appearing on earth, surrounded in glory, but standing apart from us - at arm’s length, as it were, on a mountain top, or in the clouds. 

But here is Christmas, announcing that here is God made flesh - God become like one of us.

The Holy one entering into all the messy physicality of what it means to be born as a human baby. 

Messy, though gloriously messy. 

Blood and amniotic fluid and placenta. 

Divinity constrained to pass through a birth canal.

And he doesn't disdain, doesn't shrink back, doesn't abhor this horrific transition.

The Creator of the world feels all the physical pain and trauma of entering the world this way.

And therein lies the glory of the incarnation, the wonder of Christmas.

That He would lay aside his glory.

That He would so join himself with us, as to be able to save us from our sin.

Not a God afar off, but one near at hand who knows our every weakness.

And so I celebrate today that glorious birth

           “Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, 

           Born this happy morning;

     Jesus, to Thee be all glory given;

              Word of the Father, 

           Now in flesh appearing…”