Carols amid Confusion

Thought for the Day on BBC Radio 4 this morning (27 December) focused on confused people and the memories that held significance for them. A person with dementia might, for instance, remember carols and be able to sing them clearly when all else was confusion.

The Bishop of Leeds made, in passing, the point that it is a real loss when youngsters grow up without much knowledge of traditional carols. I'm sure he is right. All that is served up to the rising generation is a handful of carols popular in schools and shopping precincts. Many of these will be purely secular. Not much meaty content there to latch on to.

This sparked off in me a whole chain of thoughts. My mother once spoke of a dramatic experience in her 1930’s nursing days. One night a young man was seen pacing up and down a ward singing hymns at the top of his voice. He had no known church associations. By the morning that young man had died. Hymns - dragged up from somewhere in the recesses of his mind - came to the fore as his life systems began to shut down.

I personally remember a terminally ill man, who had become very anti-church and a long-time non-attender, asking for a hymn book he could sing from in his side ward. He explained how it was a comfort to him.

A number of Scottish people have told how they left church after their Sunday School days. During that time they had been trained in the Church of Scotland’s beliefs. These beliefs came back to them in times of crisis and were a comfort and a help.

And then there are the sobering examples of people clinging to much darker and less healthy influences in their closing days. A well-meaning but surely misguided lady told us of her experience visiting in a hospital ward for men. She noticed that the eyes of one elderly man lit up with recognition when a swear word was used. She saw how this wretched expletive helped him to concentrate. Thinking she was being helpful, she went round to other men on the ward and encouraged them to voice the same word. It had the same effect on them!

Even the most well brought up people can suddenly come out with bad language when in the throes of dementia. This causes great distress to friends and relatives who have never heard them use these expletives before.

In my view, swear words have demonic power and should be avoided like the plague. Hymns, on the other hand, can build us up and benefit us. So can verses of scripture. A number of famous people have died with some such words as

“Lord Jesus, receive my spirit”

(Acts 7:59 - the dying words of Stephen, the first Christian martyr) on their lips. Rev Charles Wesley passed away quoting, “I shall be satisfied with thy likeness”:

“As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness” (Psalm 17:15).

I have no control over what words I may babble if and when I come to that stage in my life. All I know is that I hope what I come out with will be hymns or Bible verses and not swear words.

Born ... what for?

The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. 1 Timothy 1:15 ESV

What are people born for? Well, you might think, what a silly question! Couples may expect to start families, sooner or later. There may be some planning behind it; some wishes to fulfil. But usually it is not the result of a profound philosophical choice.

Of course, there may be incentives behind having children that don’t normally come to mind. We hear stories of “saviour siblings” being born. The intention is that they will one day provide healthy tissue that can transform the life of an older brother or sister whose existence would otherwise be blighted by some congenital abnormality.

What the baby will eventually think about this reason for its being born can only be imagined. It never had a say in the matter.

Before the advance of modern science, life was, if tragic, at least less fraught with moral dilemmas over what is right or wrong for the unborn child.

With the Lord Jesus, the supreme “Saviour sibling” in a family of mother, father, four boys and at least two girls (Mark 6:3), it was different. As Christians we believe in the pre-existence of Jesus before His life on earth. He was in glory. He and God the Father and God the Holy Spirit were in full agreement from all eternity about His eventual birth as a baby on earth and its purpose.

It would underline a theological truth: that Jesus was both fully human and fully God.

And it would not just be about abstract theology. He would be born

“into the world to save sinners”.

He also came to pass judgment on the rights and wrongs of the world:

“For judgment I came into this world,” He said, “that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” (John 9:39)

In other words, He would apply a litmus test that would show clearly who was on God’s side and who was not.

He also came to give abundant life to those who believed in Him.

“I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).

The old carol “Good Christian men, rejoice” has it about right:

Good Christian men, rejoice
with heart, and soul, and voice,
give ye heed to what we say:
Jesus Christ is born today;
ox and ass before Him bow
and He is in the manger now.
Christ is born today!
Christ is born today!

Good Christian men, rejoice
with heart, and soul, and voice;
now ye hear of endless bliss:
Jesus Christ was born for this!
He hath oped the heavenly door,
and man is blessed for evermore.
Christ was born for this!
Christ was born for this!

Good Christian men, rejoice
with heart, and soul, and voice;
now ye need not fear the grave:
Jesus Christ was born to save!
Calls you one and calls you all,
to gain His everlasting hall:
Christ was born to save!
Christ was born to save!