Wednesday 17 December 2008

Advent singing for an open table

Many of the best loved French Advent songs come from Roman Catholic song writers. One of my favourites is "laisserons-nous à notre table..." by Michel Scouarnec and Jo Akepsimas.
Is there space at our table for the stranger? Do we have time to danse with the foreigner at our parties? Do our words leave space to listen to the stranger?
The French is of course much more poetic than this early morning approximative translation. It struck me today that the hymn is an Advent meditation on the beatitudes and a call to more solidarity as we prepare to celebrate the feast of the incarnation.

Laisserons-nous à notre fête un pas de danse à l’étranger ?
Trouvera-t-il, quand il viendra, des mains tendues pour l’inviter ?

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