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He’s one of our own: A new Christmas Carol?

My mind is filled with a strange mix of football and Christmas things at the moment and as a result of this strange collision of ideas, I have come up with what could be a new Christmas carol. It started as a bit of silliness, but the more I think on it, I wonder if it’s really very profound!:

He’s one of our own,
He’s one of our own,
Jesus Christ,
He’s one of our own.

This is based around a football chant that supporters sing about players that were born in and around the area of the club they now play for and who the supporters believe will continue to be one of THEIR players. Probably the most famous example is Harry Kane.

When Jesus was born into the world, the word became flesh and lived among us. Might the angels have sung ‘He’s one of our own’? Jesus, who is fully God, came into the world to show us what God is like and to open the way for us to know God now and forever. The moment that Jesus left heaven must have been strange for him as well as costly. One of heaven’s own became human and in doing so, he became one of our own.

When Jesus was born into the world, might Mary have sung ‘He’s one of our own’? She had carried the son of God for 9 months and as she gave birth and held him in her arms, it must have been strange looking at this fragile child who she knew had the power to save humanity. As his mother, how could she see Jesus as anything other than one of her own?

When Jesus was born into the world, might the shepherds have sung ‘He’s one of our own’? They rushed to see the saviour of the world, perhaps expecting splendour but instead they encountered a fragile baby, born in poverty. What a shock, to encounter a saviour who was like them, a saviour who had come down to their level. A saviour who would stick with them and ordinary people rather that only mixing with the rich and powerful.

When Jesus was born into the world, would Joseph have sung ‘He’s one of our own’? As Joseph became the father to the son of God, he was fully aware that Jesus was not biologically ‘his own’. I expect that Joseph did come to see Jesus as one of his own and this may have been in the instant, he held baby Jesus or it may have taken time. As a parent, I don’t think of my birth and adopted children differently, I would say of any of them that they are one of my own.

When Jesus was born into the world, would the Magi have sung ‘He’s one of our own’? They were surprised not to find Jesus in the palace, and they were from a different culture and so it is unlikely they would have identified with him. When they encountered Jesus, this sense of difference was amplified as they sensed something so different and majestic about Jesus that they worshipped him.

Have you realized that Jesus became one of our own? We are used to reflecting of the power and majesty of Jesus and we call him Lord. This is perfectly appropriate, but we need to also remember that Jesus became human and as such he can understand and relate to us in every way.

You may not want to add ‘he’s one of our own’ to your carol service, but I can assure you that God is singing ‘they’re one of my own’ about you. We are all made in God’s image and when we turn to Jesus, we are adopted into God’s family.

Just for any of you who were hoping for a bit more silliness, try this football chant from Wolverhampton Wanderers in the 1980’s, sung to the tune of a well-known carol:

Hark now hear the South Bank sing,
A new King’s born today.
His name is Stevie Bull
and he’s better than Andy Gray.

I think we had better stick with he’s one of our own!

Can you think of any other football chants that could be adapted to form a football chant version of the nativity? If so, we would love to hear from you. Simply visit our facebook page and comment on the post relating to this Thought for the Week.

Written by Graeme Ross, EBA Regional Minister