Peace On Earth?

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. (Matthew 7:15)

“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. (Matthew 10:16)

Come they told me pa-rum-pum-pum-pum
A newborn king to see pa-rum-pum-pum-pum
Our finest gifts we bring pa-rum-pum-pum-pum
Rum-pum-pum-pum, Rum-pum-pum-pum
Peace on Earth can it be?
(Come they told me pa-rum-pum-pum-pum)
Years from now, perhaps we'll see?
(A newborn king to see pa-rum-pum-pum-pum)
See the day of glory
(Our finest gift we bring pa-rum-pum-pum-pum)
See the day, when men of good will
(To lay before the king pa-rum-pum-pum-pum)
Live in peace, live in peace again
(Rum-pum-pum-pum, Rum-pum-pum-pum)
Peace on Earth
(So to honur him pa-rum-pum-pum-pum)
Can it be

(When we come)

Every child must be made aware
Every child must be made to care
Care enough for his fellow man
To give all the love that he can

I pray my wish will come true
(Little baby pa-rum-pum-pum-pum)
For my child and your child too
(I stood beside him there pa-rum-pum-pum-pum)
He'll see the day of glory
(I played my drum for him pa-rum-pum-pum-pum)
See the day when men of good will
(I played my best for him pa-rum-pum-pum-pum)
Live in peace, live in peace again
(Rum-pum-pum-pum, rum-pum-pum-pum)
Peace on Earth
(Me and my drum)
Can it be
Can it be

          Back in the 60s or 70s, Bing Crosby and David Bowie teamed up to sing a “pretty little thing.” That’s the first time I heard this song, and it is a pretty little thing. Unfortunately, when I came across it recently, I paid attention to the words. That tends to be my undoing when it comes to music. The words are what I hate about Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” They are also what I hate about the songs “Imagine” and “My Way.” 
         How could anyone not love such a pretty little thing? How could anyone not love a song about peace on earth? How unchristian can I be? Sometimes, I think the verses of songs are the fine print. We learn the chorus, but mumble our way through the verses, not paying attention to the words. For me, the words that need to be considered are “Every child must be made aware. Every child must be made to care.” 
         What’s wrong with children being aware or caring? Not a thing. The problem is with the means by which the child is aware and cares. It comes down to two words: must and made. If I were to say that every child must be made to read Scripture and pray to the God described in the Bible on a daily basis, or made to have sexual relations with adults, or made to do any number of other things, people wouldn’t be pleased. In fact, one of the many debates taking place on social media has to do with whether or not children should be made to live in accordance with gender decisions made by their parents. 
          There are things I believe all people should be made to do. I think they should be made to either wear diapers or control their bodily functions. I believe they should be made to learn to walk and talk. I believe they should be made to learn those skills that are necessary to life (to be educated.) I believe that being aware, and caring are good things that every person should strive to do. But when it comes to matters of morality and principle, while I agree that we should be aware and we should care, and we should live that awareness and caring before our children so that they can learn it, I don’t believe it either right or possible to make them follow that example. That is legalism. That is authoritarianism. That is totalitarianism. That requires that our children (and we) live a lie. 
          Some may rightly complain or proclaim that I am too literal. That may be, but my point is this. It is so easy for “pretty little things” to slip in among the sheep. They sound good. They look good. They smell good. But they are still fancy-dressed wolves. How can someone complain about “peace on earth”? I suppose that depends on who is dictating the terms.