Christ On the Margins

When Christ was born in Bethlehem, the angels came to sing

Not to the highest emperor or to a mighty king.

To lowly shepherds in the fields those angels did appear,

A witness borne to folks whom most would never choose to hear.

 

When Jesus chose those followers who would his gospel find,

He did not choose the highest-born or those of brightest mind. 

He chose some lowly fisherman (A tax collector too), 

But not the sons of privilege, with whom his work to do.

 

When Jesus named the ones with whom he would identify,

Or those whose lot in life he would be represented by,

He did not name the powerful or those who aimed to please,

But those the well-to-do of us would call "the least of these."

 

When Christ was raised, the angels told the raising of God's Son

Not to the priests or to the scribes, not Peter, James, or John, 

But to the women at the tomb this news they did avail --

This news that men who were not there would call "an idle tale."

 

When Christ's good news is sounded forth, how often is it told

Not to the great, the proud, the rich, the powerful or bold,

But to the cast-aside of life the gospel is unfurled!

And so Christ's call is sounded from the margins of the world.

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, April 2022.

MUSIC: Suggested tune NOEL, English melody; arr. Arthur S. Sullivan, 1874.

 

 

It was stanza four of this text that came first, in this case; the dismissal of the women's report as "an idle tale" provoked the reflection that led to the rest of the hymn. Though an Easter gospel text started the story, the Nativity story is also alluded, and thus the use of a tune commonly associated with a Christmas text (one tune used for "It came upon the midnight clear") seemed like a fun idea.