The Coventry Carol (Stanzas 1 & 3)

The Coventry Carol was part of an annual play from 16th century Coventry, England. Hence, the title.[1]

It starts out with a lullaby:
Lully, lullah, thou little tiny child,
Bye bye, lully, lullay.
Thou little tiny child,
Bye bye, lully, lullay.

But then the lullaby takes a dark turn. When Jesus was born, a star in the night sky caught the attention of magi (a.k.a. "wise men") in the East who understood this was the star of a new king of Israel. It took them two years to get to the palace in Jerusalem. 

Instead of a young prince toddling about, they were met by a megalomaniac, King Herod. Herod consulted scholars to direct the magi toward Bethlehem, five miles away. The jealous king feigned interest in worshiping this new prince, and asked the magi to find out exactly where this toddler could be found.

Angels warned the magi to avoid Herod and told Joseph to flee with his family from Bethlehem. When Herod found he couldn't assassinate one baby, he went into a rage. He sent soldiers to Bethlehem to kill all males under the age of two. It's called "The Slaughter of the Innocents." (Matthew 2)

Herod the king, in his raging,
Chargèd he hath this day
His men of might in his own sight
All young children to slay.

This isn't exactly a king proclaiming, "Pray for peace, people everywhere!"

Jeremiah, the Weeping Prophet, foretold this massacre and that the mothers, "refused to be comforted, because their children were no more." (Matthew 2:18, New American Standard Bible, 1995)
You won't see this scene on Christmas cards. But it is the reality for many people. Ordinary folks overwhelmed by disappoint, grief, and even outright evil--even during the holidays.

Hope is found in a deeper, darker mystery: Jesus escaped the Slaughter of Innocents but voluntarily submitted to crucifixion as an adult. It was only by dying and coming back to life that He could conquer evil with authority, power, and justice. (John 10:17-18)

The martyrs in heaven cry out for justice (Revelation 6:10). We join them in asking for the Prince of Peace to "come quickly," (1 Corinthians 16:22b); to rule in justice in a new heaven and new earth. Amen.

[1]  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coventry_Carol

"Strage degli Innocenti" (Massacre of the Innocents) by Daniele Ricciarelli, 1557
Uffizi Gallery, Florence. Photographed by K. Carlson, June 22, 2021.