TRISTAN SHERWIN

Angels and archangels may have gathered there
Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
But only His mother in her maiden bliss
Worshiped the Beloved
With a kiss

What can I give Him
Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would give a lamb
If I were a wise man, I would do my part
Yet what I can, I give Him
Give my heart

Day 9…

‘In the Bleak Midwinter’ is a carol recognised by most—depending upon what tune you sing it to. It has three tunes, as far as I know, and which is best can be a cause of contention for some. Although, if you’re asking, Gustav Holst’s melody is THE tune.

The title (also the first line of this carol) has found recent fame as an idiom in the TV show, ‘Peaky Blinders’; a way of the characters expressing that every minute lived is extra/borrowed time.

Before the melody, and definitely before the TV show came along, like most carols, these words were a poem, entitled ‘A Christmas Carol’, written by the Victorian poet, Christina Rossetti (1830–1894) in response to a magazine request.

Rossetti’s words at the end of the third verse, of Mary kissing her child, paint a scene that captures a wonderful insight. The Nativity may be filled with the heavenly sounds of angelic beings, but Mary’s response to Jesus is earthy and naturally human, and yet equally as extravagant and beautiful.

To skip the poetic analysis: We worship with our humanity.

Worship at its best does not call us to be superhuman or other-than human, and nor does it call us to undermine our humanity. We respond, in worship, to the presence of Christ, not by ceasing to be creatures, but by unhesitatingly, coming with our creaturely need and nature.

There is no greater affirmation of our humanity, than the fact that the Son of God became incarnate. There is no greater use of my humanity, than the adoration of God.

I’m not sure how much ‘borrowed’ time I have, to use the ‘Peaky Blinders’ sense of this song. However, as Rossetti puts it in the last verse, as long as I have breath, Christ can have my heart, my whole, my all.