“Every idiot who goes about with ‘Merry Christmas’ on his lips, should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart”. Strong words from Ebenezer Scrooge at the beginning of A Christmas Carol. (by Charles Dickens, but it could easily have been the recent writing by Jeremy Clarkson as he drove into hot water with his comments about an American actress). Fortunately, as we are all aware, Scrooge did a complete u-turn and by the end of the well-known story he resolved to be a changed man and declared “I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach!”
This year, for the first time in a while, we included a Christmas letter in with our card to some of our family and friends and likewise, we received a few Christmas letters from those who had not sent them for a year or two. Reading them, they all seem to follow the the same pattern of Past, i.e. what they have been up to, Present – what they are doing this Christmas, and Future – what plans, hopes and ideas they have for 2023.
The ‘past’ is the easy one to write about. What has happened has happened, and most people commented that 2022 had been a more normal year than previous ones. The ‘present’ and ‘future’ are slightly more difficult and most people express concerns in one form or another, be it health, economy, strikes or the terrible war in Ukraine.
Love Came Down
In a few days time we will be celebrating our 46th wedding anniversary. Yes, a Christmas wedding and one of our hymns was Love Came Down at Christmas. Not one of the more familiar carols but one which we felt was very appropriate.
Love came down at Christmas,
Love all lovely, Love divine;
Love was born at Christmas,
Stars and angels gave the sign.
Fast forward almost 46 years from that bitterly cold December day and we were privileged to be invited to our granddaughter’s infant school carol service in St. Mary’s church, here in Newton Solney.
Love Shone Down
After the traditional placing of the nativity figures in the crib scene, and the obligatory Away in a Manger, we were treated to an enthusiastic rendition of Love Shone Down, complete with actions. This is another of the lesser known Christmas songs and I have copied the word below. If you wish to take it one step further there is a link to a commercial recording but be warned, this is a bit of an ear-worm and will echo around your head for the rest of the day!
In the meantime we send our best wishes for a very joyful Christmas and a healthy and peaceful New Year.
Love Shone Down
I had a dream that I was standing on a hillside,
And all the lights of town were shining far below,
When up in the air beautiful voices
Sing a new song, let everyone know.
Oh and Love shone down
Over the hills and over the valleys,
Oh and Love shone down
Over the world.
Somebody spoke to me, I knew it was an angel.
He said: ‘There’s something that I think you ought to know.’
Then he just smiled, said: ‘Don’t be afraid now,
Sing a new song, let everyone know.’
Chorus
And then he told me all about the baby Jesus,
How to find him, where exactly I should go.
Then he was joined by millions of others,
Sing a new song, let everyone know.
Chorus
Well, did I dream or was I really on that hillside,
On that Christmas night so very long ago?
When he was born, Jesus our Saviour,
Sing a new song, let everyone know.
Chorus
John's Postcards 