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In the bleak midwinter, some cheer

In the bleak midwinter, some cheer

Last updated on: December 8, 2017 at 12:16 pm by Dan Peterson

In the bleak midwinter, some cheer 2017-12-08T12:16:54-07:00 Dan Peterson

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In the bleak midwinter (Wikimedia CC; photo by Chris Talbot)

In his 1912 book The Four Men, the Anglo-French writer and historian Hilaire Belloc (1870-1953) — onetime president of the Oxford Union; for four or five years, Member of Parliament for Salford; devoted Catholic; and author of, among many other things, the wonderful Cautionary Tales for Children (which includes such masterpieces as “Jim, who ran away from his nurse, and was eaten by a lion” and “Matilda, who told lies and was burnt to death”) — included this theologically significant poem:

Noël! Noël! Noël! Noël!

A Catholic tale have I to tell! And a Christian song have I to sing

While all the bells in Arundel ring.

I pray good beef and I pray good beer

This holy night of all the year,

But I pay detestable drink for them

That give no honour to Bethlehem.

May all good fellows that here agree

Drink Audit Ale in heaven with me

And may all my enemies go to hell!

Noël! Noël! Noël! Noël!

May all my enemies go to hell!

Noël! Noël!

That sentiment — understandable as I sometimes find it, in certain moods — is not entirely congruent with the message that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is attempting to spread at Christmastime.

Day Eight of the Church’s “Light the World” campaign takes this New Testament verse as its theme:

“Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.”

Please have a look. And share it, or something related to it.

***

I’ve always loved Gustav Holst’s beautiful setting of Christina Rossetti’s “In the Bleak Midwinter.” Listen, here, to choir and congregation sharing the wonder of the piece and its message:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRobryliBLQ

I do, however, regard the line “If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part” as quite weak. I just can’t think of a good way to change it that would preserve the overall high quality of that final stanza.

***

In its 281st consecutive week of regular Friday publication — having been founded just 282.5 weeks ago — Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture calls attention to and reviews a landmark publication from an allied sister organization:

“Heralding a New Age of Book of Mormon Scholarship”

If you have enjoyed or been benefited by the efforts of the Interpreter Foundation, please consider even a modest donation to support its continued work:

“Donating to The Interpreter Foundation”

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