144 In the Bleak Midwinter
In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.
Our God, heaven cannot hold him, nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign:
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
The Lord God incarnate, Jesus Christ.
Angels and archangels may have gathered there;
Cherubim and Seraphim thronged the air;
But his mother only, in her maiden bliss,
Worshiped the beloved with a kiss.
What can I give him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a wise man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give him: give my heart.
Devotion
It is hard to reconcile the stark images of this haunting hymn with the actual setting of Jesus’ birth. It is doubtful there was any snow on the ground that night in Bethlehem, nor a frosty, moaning wind. His birth may not even have occurred in the middle of winter, since we don’t know the exact date. However, all historical and climatological inaccuracy aside, it’s still one of my favorite hymns.
The evocative lyrics are from a poem by the same name, written by English poet Christina Rossetti. I am able to overlook the literary license she takes and consequently, I arrive at a deeper, more metaphorical meaning for the atmospheric and moving lyrics. I invite you to expand your own thinking beyond a literal interpretation of this hymn and consider: What is bleaker and more frozen than the world before the arrival of Jesus Christ? To that end, what is bleaker and more frozen than a human heart devoid of Christ’s life-giving, technicolor, abundant love? Reflecting on my own experience of life before and after Christ’s arrival in it allows me to experience the meaning of this hymn. As a result, when I hear In the Bleak Midwinter, I do so with gratitude for a baby’s arrival in this world, appreciating and holding in my heart the image of a harsh world forever transformed by the arrival of Love.
I also hold in my heart the desire to present Jesus with a gift befitting the Son of God. Maybe you do, too. Maybe your heart aches, along with mine, at the poet’s pleas of “What can I give him?” As my heart opens, I experience this plaintive last stanza as more lament than just a simple question. Oh, what can I possibly give him, indeed? I consider what would be an adequate gift and quickly dismiss all as lacking. Anxiety arises, as nothing I can think of seems appropriate. But then something sacred happens…I release the 21stt-century American ideal of a “nice gift” and focus, instead, on the only meaningful gift I have to give. I find myself on my knees with hands over my heart, offering what is only mine to give. And it all comes rushing back – my first encounter with Jesus Christ and how I knew, I absolutely knew, I was loved without question and with no more transaction required other than offering my heart.
How about you? In the anticipation of Christ’s birth, can you remember the very first time you offered Jesus your heart? Can you experience again the depth of love you felt at the realization that you are loved without question? Did Jesus make it onto your Christmas list this year?
Spiritual Practice: Praying with your Imagination – Find a quiet moment and still your thoughts and body. Listen to the hymn in video below. Allow yourself to enter into the hymn’s imagery, suspending the need for historical accuracy. Engage your five senses. What do you see in your mind’s eye? What do you hear and taste – snowflakes on your tongue, swirling in the winter wind? Are there smells in the cold winter air? What do you feel – a biting wind, a hard, rocky terrain? How do you feel as you consider the arrival of Jesus and your desire to present him with a gift?
The evocative lyrics are from a poem by the same name, written by English poet Christina Rossetti. I am able to overlook the literary license she takes and consequently, I arrive at a deeper, more metaphorical meaning for the atmospheric and moving lyrics. I invite you to expand your own thinking beyond a literal interpretation of this hymn and consider: What is bleaker and more frozen than the world before the arrival of Jesus Christ? To that end, what is bleaker and more frozen than a human heart devoid of Christ’s life-giving, technicolor, abundant love? Reflecting on my own experience of life before and after Christ’s arrival in it allows me to experience the meaning of this hymn. As a result, when I hear In the Bleak Midwinter, I do so with gratitude for a baby’s arrival in this world, appreciating and holding in my heart the image of a harsh world forever transformed by the arrival of Love.
I also hold in my heart the desire to present Jesus with a gift befitting the Son of God. Maybe you do, too. Maybe your heart aches, along with mine, at the poet’s pleas of “What can I give him?” As my heart opens, I experience this plaintive last stanza as more lament than just a simple question. Oh, what can I possibly give him, indeed? I consider what would be an adequate gift and quickly dismiss all as lacking. Anxiety arises, as nothing I can think of seems appropriate. But then something sacred happens…I release the 21stt-century American ideal of a “nice gift” and focus, instead, on the only meaningful gift I have to give. I find myself on my knees with hands over my heart, offering what is only mine to give. And it all comes rushing back – my first encounter with Jesus Christ and how I knew, I absolutely knew, I was loved without question and with no more transaction required other than offering my heart.
How about you? In the anticipation of Christ’s birth, can you remember the very first time you offered Jesus your heart? Can you experience again the depth of love you felt at the realization that you are loved without question? Did Jesus make it onto your Christmas list this year?
Spiritual Practice: Praying with your Imagination – Find a quiet moment and still your thoughts and body. Listen to the hymn in video below. Allow yourself to enter into the hymn’s imagery, suspending the need for historical accuracy. Engage your five senses. What do you see in your mind’s eye? What do you hear and taste – snowflakes on your tongue, swirling in the winter wind? Are there smells in the cold winter air? What do you feel – a biting wind, a hard, rocky terrain? How do you feel as you consider the arrival of Jesus and your desire to present him with a gift?