Ever Mourn and Say

This is not the first time that tragedy struck at Christmas. Two thousand years ago a psychopath who killed his wife and three sons, heard that his royal position might be in danger from a peasant baby. He wasn’t a pagan; he consulted Bible scholars to find out where this king was. When the foreigners he tried to dupe into spying for him didn’t return, he had no way of knowing which child. So he killed them all—every boy baby two years old and under in the whole village of Bethlehem. It wasn’t a large village. We don’t know how many children died that day.

Maybe twenty.

Twenty infants and toddlers who nestled contentedly in their mother’s arms. 

Twenty little ones who giggled when their daddys tickled them. 

Twenty children who expected tomorrow to be as safe and full of loving, caring adults as today.

Twenty children who died violently.

"Coventry Carol" is a 16th century song from a mystery play based on the Apostle Matthew’s account of the incident in chapter 2 of his gospel. Mark Hayes has written a moving vocal arrangement that rises almost to a scream as Herod gives his orders and then drops back to mourn. The melody is a lullaby in a minor key. Here is the text:

Lully, lullay, thou little tiny Child,
By, by, lully, lullay.
Lullay, thou little tiny Child.
By, by, lully, lullay.

O sisters, too, how may we do
For to preserve this day
This poor Youngling for whom we sing,
By, by, lully, lullay.

Herod the King, in his raging,
Charged he hath this day
His men of might, in his own sight,
All children young, to slay.

Then woe is me, poor Child, for Thee,
And ever mourn and say,
For Thy parting nor say nor sing,
By, by, lully, lullay.

I had trouble getting through the song last year without breaking down. This year...? The faces of first graders and the adults who tried to protect them pass before my mind. 

Then woe is me, poor child for thee.

In liturgical churches the Feast of the Holy Innocents on the twenty-eighth of December commemorates the ancient horror. 

Oh, sisters too, what may we do? 

Perhaps we should all take some time that day to pray and to think about what we, as individuals and as a nation, should be doing to prevent the future slaughter of innocents. I will be with family that day, as you may well be too. I'm not suggesting a day of fasting and prayer in the middle of the holiday season; but if you are willing to commit to a few extra minutes of prayer for significant change in this country, please share this with friends, and invite them to stop for a few minutes and join us as we beseech heaven for wisdom and for leaders willing to work together for practical solutions.