I have had fun watching the Beefeaters or the Yeomen Warders shout loudly at people who stand in their way. They would should terms like "Stand back from the queen's guard". Search it on YouTube!!
In the same manner over this advent season i felt the verse from the O Holy Night hymn stand out
"Fall on Your Knees"
I wanted to learn more and the more I dug in, the clearer the rabbit hole became. Let me explain, the verses seem quite arbitrary. The hymn begins with a uncommon theme calling a night Holy, and then goes flat on the theology stating that the should should feel the worth of Christ and then rising to the place where there is a shout to fall on your knees as if there was a change in the scene.
This was strange, but then my rudimentary theological understanding kicked in. The hymn was a translation by John Sullivan Dwight, an Unitarian minister. This made sense as the Unitarians are not Christians. The guy who translated the original work from french did not believe that Jesus is God so he took away portions that did not match his theology and added the ones that he did. This hymn to me was not a lie as all Christians agree to the statements but it was weak, lacking any substance and trying to be something. Oh the shame!
So let us now look at the original hymn written by the french man Placide Cappeau "Minuit, chrétiens" (Midnight, Christians) vs what the translator believed, and wanted to enforce people to see.
1. Wrong understanding of God
Christians agree and affirm that Jesus is God. Mr Dwight does not believe that Jesus is God. This is why he changes the lines When God as man descended unto us into It is the night of our dear Saviour's birth.
I hope to write a post about it soon, but for the time being have a look at the following links or follow the I AM Series and get to see a tiny part of this picture.
Is Jesus God:
David Wood: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sS-lLTfCI7c
Ravi Zacharias: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWDdy0k8WNA
We worship Jesus : my blog post
Trinity: (This is not an easy thing to understand)
Nevil brother (Trinity - long video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVdysFBEW_o
Trinity Short video (T4G) : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yh0sRmIb0Qk
Jeff Durben (Trinity longer video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqJS-MScSug
2. Wrong understanding of Jesus
Jesus was not a good teacher, he believed that He is and He is indeed God.
Matt Chandler (long video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcCkKljFxQY
John MacArthur (shorter video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7yvLm6qsMY
Nabeel Qureshi (under 19 min): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I46JquDHdCQ
CS Lewis (BBC + Doodle - under 15min): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxzuh5Xx5G4
3. Wrong understanding of Sin
Mr Dwight was a transcendentalist - a person who believe that all people are inherently good and it is the society and institutions that have corrupted their nature and when outside these external forces, people turn back to being good. The Bible is the very opposite of that. It says that men are inherently bad.
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? Jer 17:9
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God - Romans 3:23
- The author tells people to kneel (submission), bow (in reverence) and stand (in adoration)
- The author calls the public to kneel, the proud to humble and the faithful to stand
- The author sees that slave as a brother, Brissot in France in 1788, the abolition act of 1787 was passed due to William Wilberforce and fellow members inspired by John Newton. passed as law in UK in 1838 and the first world anti slavery convention in 1840 shows the aspect of freedom in the poem written before 1847.
The first stanza (original in italics, the perversion / common version in grey)
Midnight, Christians, is the solemn hour,
O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of our dear Saviour's birth.
To erase the stain of original sin
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
And to end the wrath of His Father.
Till He appear'd and the soul felt its worth.
The entire world thrills with hope
A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices,
On this night that gives it a Saviour.
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
The second chorus (original translation in italics, the perversion / common version in grey stuck out)
The third chorus (original translation in italics, the perversion / common version in grey stuck out)
The third stanza (original translation in italics, the perversion / common version in grey stuck out)
The Redeemer has broken every bond
Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother;
And in His name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy name.
Source and Original Hymn and Translation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_Holy_Night
Those who know french - sing your heart out:
Minuit, chrétiens, c'est l'heure solennelle,
Où l'Homme Dieu descendit jusqu'à nous
Pour effacer la tache originelle
Et de Son Père arrêter le courroux.
Le monde entier tressaille d'espérance
En cette nuit qui lui donne un Sauveur.
Peuple à genoux, attends ta délivrance.
Noël, Noël, voici le Rédempteur,
Noël, Noël, voici le Rédempteur!
De notre foi que la lumière ardente
Nous guide tous au berceau de l'Enfant,
Comme autrefois une étoile brillante
Y conduisit les chefs de l'Orient.
Le Roi des rois naît dans une humble crèche
Puissants du jour, fiers de votre grandeur,
A votre orgueil, c'est de là que Dieu prêche.
Courbez vos fronts devant le Rédempteur.
Courbez vos fronts devant le Rédempteur.
Le Rédempteur a brisé toute entrave
La terre est libre, et le ciel est ouvert.
Il voit un frère où n'était qu'un esclave,
L'amour unit ceux qu'enchaînait le fer.
Qui lui dira notre reconnaissance,
C'est pour nous tous qu'il naît, qu'il souffre et meurt.
Peuple debout! Chante ta délivrance,
Noël, Noël, chantons le Rédempteur,
Noël, Noël, chantons le Rédempteur!
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