In honor of my 400th post on Blogger, and in honor of Christmas, something entirely different... I recommend you download the piece and play it with some good speakers; it'll be a much better listen.
Oh come, oh come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel!
ἐνανθρωπήσαντα (enanthropoisis—enhumanment)
We sing songs of reflection, as we should. The incarnation is a stunning moment, worthy of all our quiet meditation. But it should also remind us that we are at war. The enhumanment of God the Son was not an olive branch—it was a frontal assault on the very fortress of the enemy, an arrow to the eye of the dragon.
We think of the baby in a manger as God's peace offering to the world, when in reality he was exactly what the Jews expected the Messiah to be: a mighty king who would smash through the enemy's resistance and humble every power in the world. They failed to recognize the enemy. We forget there is an enemy. They got the trees wrong. We ask, "What's a forest?"
That celebrated birth was a martial act, the most stunning entry in the millennia-long war. The manger was the first step on the long march to Golgotha.
Remember, this Christmas, as you celebrate the beauty of that silent, holy night: it was an act of war.
Christus Victor.
Rejoice, rejoice! Emmanuel has come for thee, oh Israel!
You can download the piece by right-clicking here and choosing "Save As," "Save Link As," or similar.
[Originally posted as part of James Metalak's 12 Days of Christmas Project]
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