Santacon-cussion and docetic carols

I heard a minister on the radio recently decry the lyrics to “Away in a Manger,” in which it is said “no crying he makes,” regarding the sleeping infant Jesus.

He said all babies cry and the baby Jesus did too and we need to dispense with some of these unrealistic pictures of his birth.

He really got worked up, so much so that I can't help but think there was more behind his response than objections to a children’s carol.

He went on to identify other ways in which popular religious songs and images get it wrong, but he lost me after his manger rant, and I thought, what’s the harm? A minister (of all people) ought to see the comfort and assurance in a few benign images surrounding the birth of Jesus.

His remarks were just a little less annoying than a bunch of brawling drunken Santas at Santacon.

(An afterthought: I read a blog comment recently that a quiet baby Jesus diverts attention from Jesus as fully human and actually verges on Docetism, a heresy which denied Christ’s total humanity. Seems to me instead like an adult lost something special a long time ago and has had trouble finding it again.)

[2013-12-16]

c0

Everyone I know (except the little ones of course), complain about how hectic and stressful Christmastime is.

Everyone.

Seems like with that kind of unanimity, we could agree to do something about it.

[2013-12-17]

c0