Sunday, April 20, 2014

Sorted!


This is one of the hymns that was sung at yesterday evening's Easter Vigil Mass in the Virgin Mary, Ballymun. I know from a cursory internet search that it's not unique to Ballymun, although I couldn't find who wrote it.

How great is our God, How great is His name.
How great is our God, forever the same.

He rolled back the water of the mighty Red Sea.
And He said 'I’ll never leave you.
Put your trust in me'.

How great is our God, How great is His name.
How great is our God, forever the same.

He sent his son Jesus to set us all free.
And he said “I’ll never leave you
Put your trust in me'.

How great is our God, How great is His name.
How great is our God, forever the same.

He gave us his Spirit and now we can see.
And He said 'I’ll never leave you
Put your trust in me'.


Obviously the writer of this hymn thought that the language of the Bible, such as:

Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! (Issaiah 49:15)

Or:

I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will place them and multiply them, and will set My sanctuary in their midst forever. My dwelling place also will be with them; and I will be their God, and they will be My people. (Ezekiel 37:26-27)

....suffers no loss of dignity or majesty when it is updated to 'He said: "I'll never leave you. Put your trust in me"'.

In the context of the Easter Vigil, which is sublime even when (or, I would say, especially when) it's celebrated in a humdrum suburban church with a medium-size congregation, it's particularly ludicrous.

(I hope nobody is offended by my use of the 'Buddy Jesus' statue, particularly on Easter Sunday. I realize it's a cliché on Christian websites, but it is very funny, and spot-on satire to boot. It seems appropriate here. You can imagine him saying "I'll never leave you. Put your trust in me." And maybe adding "dude".)

4 comments:

  1. Did you not like the fact that it says "He said"?

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  2. No, it's not that, it's how casual the whole thing is!

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  3. Ha ha Yes I think I see what you mean after reading it again. It's not particularly "grand", is it? In fact - and maybe my mind is just being biased, but - it does seem a bit cheesy.

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  4. It's cheesier than a Galtee hamper.

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