TRISTAN SHERWIN

Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
risen with healing in his wings.
Mild he lays his glory by,
born that men no more may die,
born to raise us from the earth,
born to give us second birth.

Day 11… and I couldn’t resist this stunner. With words from the prolific hymn writer, Charles Wesley (1707-1788) combined with the music of musical maestro, Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847), ‘Hark! The Herald (not Harold) Angels Sing’ is a masterpiece, a pièce de résistance!

Albeit, an unintended one by both authors.

Neither knew each other (obviously). But Wesley prescribed a solemn, slow tempo for his lyrics, refusing a ‘cheery’ or ‘triumphant’ sound, and Mendelssohn wrote the original melody to be used in a secular capacity only. Against both wishes, the lyrics and music were reconciled together by William Cummings in 1855.

On the past few carols, I’ve shared a thought or two, but the lyrics of this carol speak for themselves, charting the pièce de résistance of Christ in his nativity, life, death and resurrection. In Christ, triumph overwrites lament, mourning is turned into dancing.

Take some time, give the whole carol a read, and ‘harken’ what it says.

‘Hark!’ is not how many introduce ourselves these days. When was the last time you walked into a room of people and boldly uttered, ‘Hark!’?

As it’s the New Year, maybe you could add its use to your resolutions list.

To ‘Hark!’ is more than mere listening, though. It is to heed, to act upon what has been said.

As this song proclaims:

Christ is the heaven-born Prince of Peace,
who is pleased as man with man to dwell.
The incarnate Deity, veiled in flesh, reconciling everything to God (Col. 1:15-23).

He is the Sun of Righteousness,
bringing light and life to all (Mal. 4:2; Col. 1:13-14).

He was born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth (Jn. 3:16; 12:25-26; 1 Cor. 15:20-23).

Don’t just hear these things. Act upon them. Accept them. Build your life upon them.