The First Noel Verse 1

This one has lots of verses to deconstruct.  Only some of which I still have memorized.

The First Noel the angel did say

Was to certain poor shepherds in fields where they lay

In fields, where they lay keeping their sheep

On a cold winter's night that was so deep.

Noel, noel; noel noel. Born is the King of Israel. 

So just now is actually the first time (in my memory at least -- did I bug you as a kid with this question, Mom?) that it's occurred to me to wonder what "noel" means.

A quick google search reveals several potential translations -- which is why I have little patience for Biblical literalists in a nutshell.  After all, "The First Noel" is a much more recent text and look at the choices I have:

"Christmas"
"A shout of joy or Christmas song"
"birth"
"nativity"
"news"

I really like the idea of a lot of these translations.  The "first birth" certainly ties this song more neatly to Advent than I would have expected going in.  And the "first news" is amazing for the story of Christ in general -- the very first piece of the Good News that Jesus came to spread on Earth.  How cool!

Apparently "noel" meaning just "Christmas" is something we can thank medieval Europe for.  But even they reserve the alternative to mean a "shout of joy" -- which is, of course, how we should greet the first birth which presages the second coming when we shall all be newly born and is the beginning of the Good News.

And all of these things were given to mere shepherds.  It's funny though, because most of the verses of this song are about the Three Wise Men.  You'll see in coming days.  But the verse that's always sung, the verse that you know if you know anything about this song, is all about the shepherds.  In terms of just the song itself, the story of the Epiphany wins out.

But in popular memory it's all about Christmas night itself.

And I thought I was going to a more inspiring "Christ comes to the lowly" place when I started this, but I actually think it's very telling about our country and our larger culture.  So many people with large microphones have positioned religion as the natural opponent of science or even learning as a whole.  On both sides really.  Fundamentalists have set the stage for nonreligious liberals to believe that religion is the enemy of logic and learning.

We both forget that the Three Wise Men used their wisdom, yes, but also their astronomy and navigation and engineering skills to reach Jesus's manger without official celestial guidance.  It's good to know -- and properly humbling -- to realize that the simple shepherds reached the same place soon just by listening.  That God will provide a BIG sign if we miss the star in the heavens.

But I wish we talked more about the ones who saw the signs and used their intelligence and gifts to find God.  So that we honored all the paths to God, just as the song in its entirety honors both of these two paths to the Christ child.