Not “calm,” not “bright”...
A wondrous Christmas hymn, “Silent Night” was written by a German priest Josef Mohr in ( maybe before) 1816.
Needless to say, northern Europe in the early 1800’s was neither calm nor bright, nor holy, nor at peace, nor filled with love’s pure light, nor redeemed by grace.
There was a high infant mortality rate, crop failures, ravaging disease, and horrendous slaughter. Europe had had almost continuous, calamitous war for 25 years! No “calm” there.
Nothing bright or holy!
Napoleonic troops and anti-French troops had ravaged back and forth. 558,000 French-lead soldiers died during the campaign into Russia. In 1813, over 600,000 soldiers fought in one battle alone at Leipzig, Saxony. As many as 110,000 were killed or wounded.
Approximately 1 million or more civilian died from that war. Total deaths reached between 3 to even 6 million! Then Germany as a confederation was created from parts of the former Holy Roman Empire, but German nationalists assassinated leaders…
Speaking of assassinations, that takes us back to the time of Jesus’s birth in Roman Palestine under Herod the Great in about 4 B.C.E.
Not a time of love, peace, goodness, Godliness, or light either.
Nor was Britain at the birth of the Quaker movement in the 1600’s. Strangely, not even the early Quakers waged peace, contrary to many Friends histories and popular understanding! Many of the early Quakers fought in the great slaughter of the English Civil War.
Traagically, George Fox who would later emphasize the Lamb’s War, the peaceful way of Jesus, at first urged the Puritan killer Oliver Cromwell to carry forth his holy war all the way to Rome!! “Let thy soldiers go forth…that thou may rock the nations as a cradle.”
Not at all like the cradled-manger of Jesus.
So much for “silent night, holy night”...
Instead, even with those Friends of Jesus, the Children of Light, there was an ocean of darkness at first...
Nor is there any peace and holiness in the 21st century. Multi-millions of Christian Russian Orthodox soldiers and their leaders continue to invade and slaughter thousands of innocent Ukrainians.
Hundreds of Ukrainian children have been kidnapped and taken to Christian Orthodox Russia.
Then there is the endless massacres of Palestine-Israel, the Sudan, etc.
Consider that powerful “Silent Night” meditative song by Simon and Garfunkel back in the 1960’s, also a horrific time of slaughter.
What a paradoxical contrast between the way of Jesus versus how Christians, Muslims, and Jews trash Jesus’ way now.
May we truly witness of the love and peace of God in this often Christ-less, unholy season.
Yet still hoping--despite endless despairing news--
in the Light of Care, Good, True, Just...
Daniel Wilcox
Showing posts with label Silent Night. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Silent Night. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 10, 2025
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
C.Q.H. #7: I Kid You Not; Go Ahead and Get My Goat!
Corny Quaker Humor #7
Did you hear about the Friendly city animal lover who kept goats in his garage, manger and all?
Angry Neighbor: “I keep hearing bleating noises coming from your garage. What gives?”
Quaker: “Let me ‘goat’ check. Moments later—“Oh that was just the little one wanting her nanny.”
A.N.: I’m calling the police, er, uh Animal Control on you!”
Quaker: "You can’t get my goats. I kid you not.
"We're sending them to the Middle East to help a refugee family. Mother and kid will bring some stableness to that angry place. You remember, don’t you, that goats calm others*. Maybe the Palestinians and Israelis need to raise them."
"Maybe, you would you like to borrow our goats for this Eve?"
"It won’t be a silent night though!"
A.N.: “Bleepbleep#$%X! What’re you talking about? You can’t keep animals in this neighborhood."
Quaker: Hmm…you almost sound like them;-) Just kidding:-)”
A.N.: “I’m warning you!”
Quaker: “Sorry. Did you ever see that old western, Have Goat, Will Travel?"
http://donate.worldvision.org/ways-to-give/by-category/animals
Idiomatic Expression: Get your goat."
*"The Phrase Finder concludes that the saying is distinctly American dating back to 1909 and sticks by the “commonly repeated story which purports to explain the phrase’s origin is that goats were placed with racehorses to keep them calm. When ne’er-do-wells who wanted the horse to race badly removed it, i.e. they ‘got someone’s goat’, the horse became unsettled and ran badly.” The site admits, though that there’s no evidence to support this etymological tale."
"...Ye Olde English Sayings discusses the origins of “getting your goat” with reference to “an old English (Welsh?) belief that keeping a goat in the barn would have a calming effect on the cows, hence producing more milk. When one wanted to antagonize/terrorize one’s enemy, you would abscond with their goat rendering their milk cows less- to non-productive.
Whether the phrase is English or American, the common thread is “goats as the great calmers of nature.”
http://goatberries.com/2011/03/the-origins-of-get-your-goat/
In the heavenly noise;-)
Daniel Wilcox
Did you hear about the Friendly city animal lover who kept goats in his garage, manger and all?
Angry Neighbor: “I keep hearing bleating noises coming from your garage. What gives?”
Quaker: “Let me ‘goat’ check. Moments later—“Oh that was just the little one wanting her nanny.”
A.N.: I’m calling the police, er, uh Animal Control on you!”
Quaker: "You can’t get my goats. I kid you not.
"We're sending them to the Middle East to help a refugee family. Mother and kid will bring some stableness to that angry place. You remember, don’t you, that goats calm others*. Maybe the Palestinians and Israelis need to raise them."
"Maybe, you would you like to borrow our goats for this Eve?"
"It won’t be a silent night though!"
A.N.: “Bleepbleep#$%X! What’re you talking about? You can’t keep animals in this neighborhood."
Quaker: Hmm…you almost sound like them;-) Just kidding:-)”
A.N.: “I’m warning you!”
Quaker: “Sorry. Did you ever see that old western, Have Goat, Will Travel?"
http://donate.worldvision.org/ways-to-give/by-category/animals
Idiomatic Expression: Get your goat."
*"The Phrase Finder concludes that the saying is distinctly American dating back to 1909 and sticks by the “commonly repeated story which purports to explain the phrase’s origin is that goats were placed with racehorses to keep them calm. When ne’er-do-wells who wanted the horse to race badly removed it, i.e. they ‘got someone’s goat’, the horse became unsettled and ran badly.” The site admits, though that there’s no evidence to support this etymological tale."
"...Ye Olde English Sayings discusses the origins of “getting your goat” with reference to “an old English (Welsh?) belief that keeping a goat in the barn would have a calming effect on the cows, hence producing more milk. When one wanted to antagonize/terrorize one’s enemy, you would abscond with their goat rendering their milk cows less- to non-productive.
Whether the phrase is English or American, the common thread is “goats as the great calmers of nature.”
http://goatberries.com/2011/03/the-origins-of-get-your-goat/
In the heavenly noise;-)
Daniel Wilcox
Friday, December 9, 2011
All is not calm, all is not bright...
All is not calm, all is not bright…
One of my favorite hymns from childhood is “Silent Night” by the German priest Josef Mohr written in (or maybe before) 1816.
Needless to say, northern Europe in the early 1800’s was neither calm nor bright, nor holy, nor at peace, nor filled with love’s pure light, nor redeemed by grace.
There was a high infant mortality rate, crop failures, ravaging disease, and horrendous slaughter. Europe had had almost continuous, calamitous war for 25 years! No “calm” there.
Napoleonic troops and anti-French troops had ravaged back and forth. 558,000 French-lead soldiers died during the campaign into Russia. In 1813, over 600,000 soldiers fought in one battle alone at Leipzig, Saxony. As many as 110,000 were killed or wounded.
Approximately 1 million or more civilian died from the war. Total war deaths reached between 3 to 6 million! Then Germany as a confederation was created from parts of the former Holy Roman Empire, however, German nationalists assassinated leaders…
Speaking of assassinations, that takes us back to the time of Jesus’s birth in Roman Palestine under Herod the Great in about 4-3 B.C..
Not a time of love, peace and light either.
Nor was Britain at the birth of the Quaker movement (so dear to my heart). Strangely, not even the early Quakers waged peace, contrary to Friends histories and popular understanding! Many of the Quakers fought in the great slaughter of the English Civil War.
George Fox, who would later emphasize the peaceful way of Jesus, at one point urged the Puritan killer Oliver Cromwell to carry forth his holy war all the way to Rome!! “Let thy soldiers go forth…that thou may rock the nations as a cradle.”
Not at all like the cradled-manger of Jesus.
So much for “silent night, holy night”…
Instead, even with the Friends of Jesus, the Children of Light, we have an "ocean of darkness" at first…
Nor was America peaceful in the time of my own childhood, when in a small Nebraska village, we sang this beautiful carol, shining the God’s light out into the overwhelming darkness of fighting and killing…
Consider this powerful “Silent Night” meditative song by Simon and Garfunkel:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZazHqdNeXA
What a paradoxical contrast between the way of Jesus and the, too often, horrific way of us.
May we truly witness of the love and peace of God in this often Christ-less, unholy season.
In the Light,
Daniel Wilcox
One of my favorite hymns from childhood is “Silent Night” by the German priest Josef Mohr written in (or maybe before) 1816.
Needless to say, northern Europe in the early 1800’s was neither calm nor bright, nor holy, nor at peace, nor filled with love’s pure light, nor redeemed by grace.
There was a high infant mortality rate, crop failures, ravaging disease, and horrendous slaughter. Europe had had almost continuous, calamitous war for 25 years! No “calm” there.
Napoleonic troops and anti-French troops had ravaged back and forth. 558,000 French-lead soldiers died during the campaign into Russia. In 1813, over 600,000 soldiers fought in one battle alone at Leipzig, Saxony. As many as 110,000 were killed or wounded.
Approximately 1 million or more civilian died from the war. Total war deaths reached between 3 to 6 million! Then Germany as a confederation was created from parts of the former Holy Roman Empire, however, German nationalists assassinated leaders…
Speaking of assassinations, that takes us back to the time of Jesus’s birth in Roman Palestine under Herod the Great in about 4-3 B.C..
Not a time of love, peace and light either.
Nor was Britain at the birth of the Quaker movement (so dear to my heart). Strangely, not even the early Quakers waged peace, contrary to Friends histories and popular understanding! Many of the Quakers fought in the great slaughter of the English Civil War.
George Fox, who would later emphasize the peaceful way of Jesus, at one point urged the Puritan killer Oliver Cromwell to carry forth his holy war all the way to Rome!! “Let thy soldiers go forth…that thou may rock the nations as a cradle.”
Not at all like the cradled-manger of Jesus.
So much for “silent night, holy night”…
Instead, even with the Friends of Jesus, the Children of Light, we have an "ocean of darkness" at first…
Nor was America peaceful in the time of my own childhood, when in a small Nebraska village, we sang this beautiful carol, shining the God’s light out into the overwhelming darkness of fighting and killing…
Consider this powerful “Silent Night” meditative song by Simon and Garfunkel:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZazHqdNeXA
What a paradoxical contrast between the way of Jesus and the, too often, horrific way of us.
May we truly witness of the love and peace of God in this often Christ-less, unholy season.
In the Light,
Daniel Wilcox
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