Day 24/Track 23. What Child is This?

Author: William Chatterton Dix, 1865

Tune: Greensleeves

Scripture: Isaiah 9:6-7

The author of this hymn, William C. Dix, was a businessman. This was unique, because the majority of hymn writers at his time were clergy. He wrote the hymn during a disabling illness that lead him to a spiritual awakening. His suffering lead to introspection and a desire to express his thoughts in an artistic and creative way.

Written from the shepherd’s perspective, this hymn asks questions that are answered by the chorus.

“This, this is Christ, the King, whom shepherds guard and angels sing: Haste, haste to bring him laud, the babe, the son of Mary!

This is a beautiful hymn set to the soothing English folksong, Greensleeves. I remember singing this with one of my high school girlfriends. We would sing the hymn and then Greensleeves to compare them.

Several of the hymns on my 25 day journey were written following a painful or difficult season in the author’s life. Have you found new wisdom you’ve desired to express following a difficult season of your life?

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