O Come All You Unfaithful

I love the classic carol, ‘O come, all you faithful,’ but the sense of being ‘joyful and triumphant’ sometimes feels artificially upbeat.

I know that the song taps into the excitement of coming to Bethlehem to behold the one who was born the king of angels—the Word of the Father now in flesh appearing.

Yet, in our moments of weakness and weariness, this confident chorus can clash with our cries for help.

Indeed, we recall the words of the baby who grew to be a man, who said:

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

With this in mind, we have welcomed the creation of a new carol entitled, ‘O Come All You Unfaithful,’ by Bob Kauflin and Lisa Clow.

Here are some of the phrases in the song:

O come all you unfaithful, come weak and unstable, come know you are not alone; O come barren and waiting ones, weary of praying, come see what your God has done; O come bitter and broken, come with fears unspoken, come taste of His perfect love; O come guilty and hiding ones, there is no need to run, see what your God has done; So come though you have nothing, come He is the offering, come see what your God has done.

The sentiment is completely different to the triumphant cry of the classic carol… and this resonates with us in a way that touches our weary and troubled hearts.

This Christmas, come to the boy who became a man, who invites you today to find rest from your burdens as you trust in him and experience afresh the freedom of forgiveness and the certainty of eternity.

JODIE McNEILL

(Photo credit: Takashi Hososhima via Flickr.com)