The story of the birth of Christ is all about journeys. Mary and Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem, for the census. The three magi “from the East”, seeking the king, guided by a star. The holy family fleeing to Egypt, to escape Herod’s slaughter of the innocents. A lot of miles, a lot of dust, a lot of new scenery.
Well, when you think of it, we’re all on journeys, even if we
never live anywhere outside the county of our birth. Some of us travel externally;
some are trekking inward. Some—me, for example—both. We do it to learn, to share,
to find new perspective; to grow; to become.
So today’s Advent song is about journeys.
“Children, Go Where I Send Thee” is an African-American relation
of an old English song called “The Twelve Apostles”. It’s a counting song, with
repetitions, but it is not as deadly as “The Twelve Days of Christmas”, which I
absolutely, categorically loathe with an incandescent hatred. The artists are
The Fairfield Four, a group that has existed for a hundred years (although not
with its current members, obvs). I love this version.
You will note that the song is not about the where, but about the
how. This is an important element of journeys that we often overlook.
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