God With Us All

Week 1: The Huron Carol

The 17th-century Huron Carol was originally written in the mother tongue of the First Nations Wendat/Huron people of Canada. The English-language lyrics that appear in hymnals across North America were written in 1926 by the journalist and historian Jesse Edgar Middleton. 

Because Middleton shortened and paraphrased the original, it can be enlightening to read other, more literal translations of this great Christmas hymn. One version of the arrival of the great chiefs (wise men) from afar goes like this:

Behold, they have arrived there and have seen Jesus.
They praised His name many times
saying, ‘Hurray, He is good in nature.’
They greeted Him with respect, saying, ‘Hurray!’
‘We will give honor to His name.’
‘Let us oil His scalp many times, show reverence for Him,
As He comes to be compassionate with us.’
It is providential that you love us, and think
‘I should make them part of My family.’

In Middleton’s version, the previous verse speaks of a lodge of broken bark where a squaw sits with a baby in her lap, wrapped in rabbit skins, as First Nation hunters come quietly in from the cold, dark night to see this tiny human new to the world. 

Then these three tribal leaders show up, feeling overwhelming joy, and saying “Hurray, this child is good in nature.” They go up to the child and anoint his little head with precious oil, a reverential practice that would have been familiar to the Wendat/Huron people. 

And why do they experience this delight and show this reverence? Because in this child, the Divine One comes into their midst, into our midst, wherever we are, to be compassionate with them, with us, whoever we are; to love them, love us, and make them, and us, part of the family of the Divine One. This is the good news brought by Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us all, that we celebrate this Christmastide.

REFLECTION QUESTION(S):

In a culture as divided as ours often is, how might our thoughts, words, and actions be shaped by the idea that the birth of Jesus means that God wants all of us, in all our diversity, to be made part of God’s family?

By Moses Beaver, First Nations artist in “An Aboriginal Carol”, by David Bouchard.  Used with permission from the author.

WRITTEN BY

Rob Spach