Oklahoma Biker - The Riders Ragazine Jan - Feb 2018 | Page 22

I BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW...
“God rest ye merry gentlemen
let nothing you dismay…” Now
that Christmas has come and
gone I am left with those words
ringing in my ears and rolling
over and over through my mind.
This has always been my favor-
ite Christmas Carol, but it is so
much more than that. I wonder
how many people know the true
meaning behind the song.
The translation of two words in
that song make a world of dif-
ference in the understanding of
what they were singing about
and what we should be sing-
ing about. These words were
written and understood in early
modern English, which was the
language of the common peo-
ple of that time. (this would be
the language that Shakespeare
wrote in) This means that the
two words rest and merry did
not mean what they mean to us
today.
Rest translates to make or keep
and Merry really means mighty.
(You didn’t think Robin Hood’s
Merry Men meant they were
happy, did you?) When you find
yourself singing God Rest Ye
Merry Gentlemen, know that you
are really saying God will make
you mighty! Now go read the
This song was written 500 years
words of that song again and
ago in a time when church goers
see if it makes more sense to
were forced to sings dark and
you.
somber songs in Latin. There
Something to think about in the
was little joy to be had in the
church even at this time of year wind.
when we were supposed to be
PASTOR MATT
celebrating the Savior’s birth. To
IT IS OKAY TO LIVE A LIFE
combat this, the downtrodden
OTHERS DO NOT UNDERSTAND
and oppressed people would
write and sing their own songs.
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
became a favorite for Christmas.
(which incidentally, on the tradi-
tional church calendar, doesn’t
start until Christmas Eve and
ends the first of February)
oklahoma biker the riders ragazine
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