Recently, Christianity Today asked a collection of prominent evangelicals whether they thought “Away in the Manger” should be done away with.
Why do away with “Away in a Manger”? some of you may ask.
The bad theology, of course.
You know…”The little Lord Jesus no crying He makes…”
At best, it’s extrabiblical. At worst, it’s unbiblical.
It’s a denial of the full humanity of Christ.
But it’s a pretty song, a cute song, a song rich with memory for many of us.
The question brings to mind a whole slew of other songs that I love and hate. There are the songs whose melodies I love but whose words I abhor. And the ones whose words I love but whose melodies I hate. And then there are the worst ones, the ones whose melodies and words I love–except for a couple of lines.
Songs like “Above All”.
I think it might’ve been my favorite song except for its one huge glaring fault.
Above all powers, above all kings
Above all nature and all created things
Above all wisdom and all the ways of man
You were here before the world began
Above all kingdoms, above all thrones
Above all wonders the world has ever known
Above all wealth and treasures of the earth
There’s no way to measure what You’re worth”
It’s beautiful–singing about the supremecy of Christ over all things, of His matchless worth.
And the chorus only increases the wonder, telling of the pinnacle of God’s glory displayed through the cross.
“Crucified laid behind the stone
You lived to die rejected and alone
Like a Rose trampled on the ground
You took the fall..”
I exult in the supremecy of Christ, I celebrate the incarnation, I rejoice in the crucifixion–the Power of God displayed for all to see.
And the next words send me back to earth with a thump.
“You took the fall
And thought of me
Above all.”
What?
Are you serious?
So I just sung about how God is above all–but now you’re telling me God worships ME?
Uh-uh. Not happening.
God, the supreme God who is above all, thinks of me (Hallelujah)–but He does not think of me ABOVE ALL. God thinks of me and loves me–but He is God-focused above all. He does not live to make me happy or even to save me–He lives to be Himself and to be seen as Himself. And, boy, is that a good thing! If God were me-focused, it would decrease His God-hood, it would make Him an idolator. God doesn’t think of me above all.
So, needless to say, that song frustrates me a bit.
So good. So bad. So difficult to separate the good from the bad.
Tell me, do you have a song you love and hate? Do you think about the theology in the songs you’re singing? What songs bother you–and what do you do about it? Do you still sing along? Do you stand in silence? Do you write a letter to the editor? Tell me what you think about theology and music.