One of the great delights of human creativity is our ability to create songs by putting together poetry and music in the form of song. Whether we writes, sing or just listen to them, there is something about songs that give expression to some of the deepest possible currents of emotion within us.
Some years ago, I was inspired to craft a eulogy to celebrate the Lord Jesus Christ, that drew on two very different sources. The first is Robbie Burns’ much-loved poem A Man’s a Man for a’ That, which dates back to the very end of the class-ridden 18th century, and which makes a radical proclamation of social egalitarianism by affirming that a person’s character is of far greater worth than any aristocratic title or wealth they may possess. Poking fun at the arrogant ways of the aristocracy, these verses must have been considered semi-revolutionary in their day, but the poem also looks forward to a time when all men everywhere will recognise their brotherhood.
In my own song, I have applied Burns’ words to the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, the one man in all history who was both fully man and fully God, and who refused to pander to or endorse the arrogant ways of self-obsessed rulers. It is delightful to honour in this way the greatest model we can ever follow, the Saviour of the world and the One who will reign and rule on Earth when He returns in glory.
My second source of inspiration draws on even older material again. Back in the seventh century, a farmhand called Caedmon was inspired to sing of Heaven’s Kingdom, declaring that the Eternal Lord, the Guardian of Mankind, established Heaven as a roof for the children of men, and then created middle earth, appointing specific lands for different people. This inspired songster urged us to ‘praise the keeper of Heaven’s Kingdom, the might of the Creator and His purposes, the work of the Father of glory.’ In this, he echoes the prophecies of Daniel, who declared that, whilst great empires and mighty kingdoms might rise and fall, the Lord’s Kingdom would never be destroyed but would endure forever. (Dan. 7:14)
How Jesus delights to raise people of the humblest of origins to become His friends and ambassadors, to declare the truths of His Father’s eternal Kingdom and confound the pride of so-called human wisdom. For whilst Daniel was a well-educated man in both Jewish and Babylonian ways, whilst Caedmon as a farmhand in Northhumbria was neither literate nor musical. We owe the story about him to the Venerable Bede, the earliest English historian, who tells us that Caedmon’s job was to care for the animals at the great double monastery of Whitby (so-called because it housed communities of monks and nuns side by side), and which was the Abbess Hilda presided over. The tone-deaf labourer used to dread the feast days when people sang and created ballads to the accompaniment of music on the harp and in order to avoid having to take part, he would sidle away and hide in the stables when he saw his turn approaching!
When the Lord has a purpose in mind, it is not so easy to escape Him! The story goes that Caedmon fell asleep amongst the horses, and met an unknown person in a dream (it must surely have been an angel!) who ordered him to sing about the creation of all things – and who refused to accept his objections that he did not know how to sing! Caedmon opened his mouth and, much to his surprise, found himself singing beautiful truths about creation.
When Hilda and the elders of the monastery heard the song, they were so touched by it that they began teaching Caedmon biblical stories and truths. Bede tells us that from that moment on, he turned all the spiritual truths and stories he heard into songs, which soon became one of the principal tools for spreading the gospel throughout Northumbria.* Today, Caedmon is recognised as the first English hymnwriter-poet in recorded history,
I love it when God intervenes in such ways! I remember Francis Cummings prophesying to a friend of ours at one of the Malvern conferences that God would give him the gift of writing music and singing for the Lord, likewise ignoring his protests that he was totally tone deaf. Sure enough, within a couple of years, our friend had recorded two lovely CDs of his own songs! I wrote on the theme of Heavenly Music in The Still Small Voice – do click on this link and read this section. It’s a really important concept for the body of Christ to take on board and to find ways to outwork, making prayer an adventure and adding depth to the worship.
Martin Luther went so far as to claim that the devil flees before the sound of music faster than anything else except the Word of God. How good then to find ways to combine the two! If lucifer was as many beleikve, once the worship-leader in Heaven untuil pride filled his heart and made him want t usurp the Almighty’s place, then it is no suprise that he makes such strenuous efforts to corrupt and oppose this work of creation. How many ugly disputes there have been, and so many splits and tensions in churches that have revolved around musical matters.
Back in ancient Ireland, there used to be great hostility between the priests and the bards, until Columba recognised that it is God who is the giver of music and poetry, and began to deliberately welcome both into the life of the Church. His initiative enabled many beautiful hymns and poems to find their way into the whole culture. When English invaders later swept in to Ireland, they were surprised to hear harps being used to accompany songs and readings, and to discover just how musical the bishops and abbots were.
How incredibly beautiful and powerful it is when singers and musicians are at one in the Spirit and the music of Heaven flows, both that which is written down ahead of time and that which is improvised in the Spirit in the moment. As the Body of Christ once again discovers the joy and freedom of using the arts as a means of sharing the gospel, may the Lord raise up more and more anointed musicians and singers like Caedmon to communicate His heart and the realities of Heaven’s Kingdom to people far and wide. Meantime, let’s celebrate the glorious and Eternal Pageant a cowherd sang out back in the seventh century, sung beautifully for us here by Megan Topper and set to the tune of Robbie Burn’s own song, A Man’s a man for a’ that.‘ There are eternal truths ringing out loud and clear here, and a summons to look beyond earthly causes and rulers, and to devote ourselves to the true Saviour of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ, and to go with Him where and however He leads us.
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