“Advent to Christmas”

At this time of the year, our thoughts may be on that annual journey of preparation through Advent to Christmas.  

 Advent is meant to be a time of hope, faith, joy, and peace.  The Advent season reminds us that God sent His Son to this world so that we might have a relationship with Him.  Yet, Jesus also suffers with us and helps us navigate our pain.

 So, I have chosen that well known and indeed popular poem by John Betjeman, titled quite simply - Christmas.  

Betjeman is certainly one of my favourite 20^th century poets.

 John Betjeman was born on August 28th, 1906, near Highgate, London.  His father was a cabinet maker, a trade which had been in the family for several generations.

He was a poet, writer, and broadcaster, with a deep affection for the Church of England. He was Poet Laureate from 20 October 1972 until his death on 19 May 1984 and was immensely popular with the public.  One of the joys of his poems was their accessibility; they had a good rhythm and he used words which were understood. This doesn’t mean there was no depth in what he had to say – rather the opposite.

 In Christmas the opening verses are about all those preparations we engage in up to the great day, both in and out of Church.  So, he talks about decorating the church but also about the less sacred tasks of buying gifts – those “tissued fripperies”.

The poem then moves us forward to Christmas morning when gifts are being given and the Church bells are calling people to morning service.

Then in the sixth verse he seems to be questioning the true meaning of Christmas – “and is it true?” The last couple of verses attempt to answer the question.

So, at the end we are led to a conclusion that the Bible stories about the birth and life of Christ are true; that the frivolous activities surrounding Christmas Day, and family love, fade into insignificance compared with Christ's sacrifice and the sacrament of Communion offered at Mass on Christmas Day morning.

We are left with a feeling of awe at the enormity of what may be experienced at the Christmas Day church service when taking the proffered bread and wine.

 John Betjeman was recorded reading this poem, which can be heard on the following link.

https://youtu.be/AyZL9_To0_A

Christmas

The bells of waiting Advent ring,

The Tortoise stove is lit again

And lamp-oil light across the night

Has caught the streaks of winter rain

In many a stained-glass window sheen

From Crimson Lake to Hookers Green.

The holly in the windy hedge

And round the Manor House the yew

Will soon be stripped to deck the ledge,

The altar, font and arch and pew,

So that the villagers can say

'The church looks nice' on Christmas Day.

Provincial Public Houses blaze,

Corporation tramcars clang,

On lighted tenements I gaze,

Where paper decorations hang,

And bunting in the red Town Hall

Says 'Merry Christmas to you all'.

And London shops on Christmas Eve

Are strung with silver bells and flowers

As hurrying clerks the City leave

To pigeon-haunted classic towers,

And marbled clouds go scudding by

The many-steepled London sky.

And girls in slacks remember Dad,

And oafish louts remember Mum,

And sleepless children's hearts are glad.

And Christmas-morning bells say 'Come!'

Even to shining ones who dwell

Safe in the Dorchester Hotel.

And is it true? And is it true,

This most tremendous tale of all,

Seen in a stained-glass window's hue,

A Baby in an ox's stall?

The Maker of the stars and sea

Become a Child on earth for me?

And is it true?  For if it is,

No loving fingers tying strings

Around those tissued fripperies,

The sweet and silly Christmas things,

Bath salts and inexpensive scent

And hideous tie so kindly meant,

No love that in a family dwells,

No carolling in frosty air,

Nor all the steeple-shaking bells

Can with this single Truth compare -

That God was man in Palestine

And lives today in Bread and Wine.

Submitted by Roger Verrall – December 9, 2021

SOURCE

In Praise of Churches, John Betjeman. Published by John Murray, London 1996