{"id":832,"date":"2012-12-17T09:42:49","date_gmt":"2012-12-17T15:42:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/knackfornoticing\/?p=832"},"modified":"2012-12-17T09:42:49","modified_gmt":"2012-12-17T15:42:49","slug":"twenty-children-see-him-and-six-adults","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/knackfornoticing\/2012\/12\/twenty-children-see-him-and-six-adults\/","title":{"rendered":"“Twenty Children See Him” (And Six Adults)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

I just got back from a family road trip to Austin, Texas to visit our oldest daughter Melissa. My husband brought his extensive collection of Christmas music. I debated writing a lighthearted blog about all the people who have made Christmas albums through the years who shouldn\u2019t have. Examples might include N Sync\u2019s \u201cChristmas at Home\u201d Album, John Tesh\u2019s \u201cRomantic Christmas Album,\u201d Mariah Carey\u2019s \u201cMerry (kinda screamy on the high notes) Christmas\u201d Album, and Ally McBeal\u2019s \u201cA Very Ally Christmas\u201d album.<\/p>\n

I thought about writing a humorous blog about all the Christmas songs that are more about sexual innuendo than incarnation. These would include, just to name three, \u201cSanta, Baby,\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s Christmas Time Pretty Baby,\u201d and \u201cBack Door Santa.\u201d The blog would be part titillation, part cultural critique.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d call it \u201cDirty Santa,\u201d and probably lots of people would read it. But that will have to wait for next year. It doesn\u2019t seem appropriate today.<\/p>\n

I thought about writing a blog about my favorite Christmas albums that we listened to in the 8 hours on the road this weekend. They would include Elvis\u2019 Blue Christmas Album, Al Green\u2019s Christmas Album, Baroque Christmas Concerti, Boogie Woogie Christmas with the Brian Setzer Orchestra, The Manhattan Transfer Christmas Album, A Michael Bubl\u00e9 Christmas, Gotta Have Gospel Christmas Album and, \u00a0\u201cIn the Christmas Mood,\u201d with The Glen Miller Orchestra. But musical taste is so subjective, I thought that might not be relevant to anyone but me.<\/p>\n

And then I realized that even after we got home last night I was still humming one particular song from one particular Christmas album by one particular artist. He would be James Taylor from the album \u201cJames Taylor at Christmas.\u201d It is a great album, even taking into account the somewhat creepy track of \u201cBaby, it\u2019s cold outside,\u201d where James seems to be trying to lure a young woman who still lives at home to spend the night with him by plying her with drink. But it also contains uplifting renditions of \u201cGo Tell it on the Mountain,\u201d \u201cRiver,\u201d\u00a0 \u201cWho Comes This Night,\u201d and \u201cIn the Bleak Midwinter. \u201c<\/p>\n

None of those, however, was lingering my mind once we got out of the car. The one that lingered was<\/p>\n

\u201cSome children see him.\u201d\u00a0 The unassuming, little known lyricist Wihla Hut wrote the lyrics to \u201cSome Children See Him\u201d in 1951 reflecting on the violence in the world that led to the Korean War so close on the heels of World War II. She meant it as an affirmation that children of all nationalities could imagine Jesus to be like them, with the underlying message that love is more important than any claim of race or nationality. Amid the horror of the slaughter of 20 children, we struggle with the questions \u201cWhy?\u201d and \u201cHow can this be prevented in the future?\u201d These are crucial questions that need to be asked and acted on.<\/p>\n

But let us pause for a moment, parents, and all who love children, and receive the assurance that, while these children have been snatched from us by violent hands, they are now in loving and soothing hands.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=XR5vupwpRJc<\/a>\n

James Taylor\u2019s rendition of it is haunting and sweet.<\/p>\n

Some children see Him lily white,<\/em><\/p>\n

the baby Jesus born this night.<\/em><\/p>\n

Some children see Him lily white,<\/em><\/p>\n

with tresses soft and fair. <\/em><\/p>\n

Some children see Him bronzed and brown,<\/em><\/p>\n

The Lord of heav\u2019n to earth come down.<\/em><\/p>\n

Some children see Him bronzed and brown,<\/em><\/p>\n

with dark and heavy hair. <\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Some children see Him almond-eyed,<\/em><\/p>\n

this Savior whom we kneel beside.<\/em><\/p>\n

some children see Him almond-eyed,<\/em><\/p>\n

with skin of yellow hue. <\/em><\/p>\n

Some children see Him dark as they,<\/em><\/p>\n

sweet Mary\u2019s Son to whom we pray.<\/em><\/p>\n

Some children see him dark as they,<\/em><\/p>\n

and, ah! they love Him, too!<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

The children in each different place<\/em><\/p>\n

will see the baby Jesus\u2019 face<\/em><\/p>\n

like theirs, but bright with heavenly grace,<\/em><\/p>\n

and filled with holy light. <\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

O lay aside each earthly thing<\/em><\/p>\n

and with thy heart as offering<\/em><\/p>\n

come worship now the infant King.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2018Tis love that\u2019s born tonight!<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Twenty children and six heroic adults died on Friday:\u00a0 twenty six children of God. I don\u2019t know if they saw the face of their shooter or not in the moment before their death. But I believe that they saw the face of their Savior in moment that followed. I believe that the children of God who died that day met the child who was born on Christmas day.<\/p>\n

That means the sweet and haunting song may need to be renamed:<\/p>\n

\u201cAll children see him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I just got back from a family road trip to Austin, Texas to visit our oldest daughter Melissa. My husband brought his extensive collection of Christmas music. I debated writing a lighthearted blog about all the people who have made Christmas albums through the years who shouldn\u2019t have. Examples might include N Sync\u2019s \u201cChristmas at […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":224,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-832","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n"Twenty Children See Him" (And Six Adults)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"I just got back from a family road trip to Austin, Texas to visit our oldest daughter Melissa. 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