The Christmas and Advent songs from this Iona Community collection are sometimes spoiling for a fight. This is a new text for “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” that does that, but will need further editing as some of the topical references are specific to Glasgow or 1987.
The text is in this liturgy from 2007, where they updated the lyrics to their time and place. In verse five, the original refers to “Possilpark” an area notorious for drug use in Glasgow at the time. This version changes that to “Queens Park” and you need to find a local reference to a “doubly dark” place if you want to use this.
The third verse was originally:
Where Nicaragua’s people long for justice which is true;
Where Ethiopia’s children cry for food which is their due;
Where white South Africa declares apartheid comes from you:
This update (2007) reads:
Where Colombia’s people cry for justice which is true.
Where Iraq’s hungry children cry for food which is their due
Where North Americans declare “Our wealth has come from you”.
For 2021 how about:
Where Covid vaccinations are reserved for those who pay.
Where refugees can drown but we can fill up Santa’s sleigh.
And those in power hope climate change will simply go away.
I just noted the second verse in the clip below from last year touched on similar ideas to mine.