The Trumpet Child – 2

With Gabriel’s power and Satchmo’s grace
He will surprise the human race

Who is Gabriel? Playing various roles in the Abrahamic faiths (Judaism, Christianity, Islam), Gabriel is an angel, a messenger of God. He is often given the status of an archangel—a “chief” or “top” angel. In the Christian canon, he shows up in Daniel and Luke. In Daniel, Gabriel helps Daniel make sense of some bizarre visions (Daniel 8-9), and, in Luke, he announces the births of both John the Baptist and Jesus (Luke 1). Zechariah doubts Gabriel’s announcement that his wife will conceive (a common thing for biblical characters to do), and Gabriel in turn strikes him mute. This is no Precious Moments angel: “When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear” (Lk. 1:12). The song is therefore right to speak of Gabriel’s power. It is also right to associate Gabriel with the trumpet child. In the biblical passages just mentioned, it is the eschatological future that Gabriel either interprets or announces. Daniel is a highly eschatological and apocalyptic book, and John the Baptist’s and Jesus’ births signify the imminent arrival of the kingdom of God. The trumpet child will play with Gabriel’s power. He is the apocalypse that Gabriel interprets; he is the child whose birth Gabriel announces. He therefore carries with him Gabriel’s power. Or, more properly, Gabriel’s power lies wholly in that which he announces—the trumpet child.

Who is Satchmo? None other than the great Louis Armstrong! Armstrong was a prolific American Jazz musician who had a significant impact on the genre. He made improvisation central to the art of jazz and pushed the limits of both performance and composition. But was he graceful? For now, we’ll submit to the judgment of Wikipedia: “Armstrong’s improvisations were daring and sophisticated for the time while often subtle and melodic. He often essentially re-composed pop-tunes he played, making them more interesting. Armstrong’s playing is filled with joyous, inspired original melodies, creative leaps, and subtle relaxed or driving rhythms. The genius of these creative passages is matched by Armstrong’s playing technique, honed by constant practice, which extended the range, tone and capabilities of the trumpet.” The trumpet child will play not only with power and authority but also with grace. As John Webster says of the risen Christ, he is “radiant and eloquent.” The trumpet child’s performance will be beautiful, stunningly beautiful. His listeners will be awash with the beauty of God, a beauty that, as Jeremy Begbie describes it, is “the beauty of out-going love.”

So the trumpet child will bring together what is so often torn apart: power and grace, strength and subtlety, authority and beauty. Accordingly, he will surprise the human race. What a great line! It is so rich, and I could run with it in a variety of ways. In a world stuck in the ruts of ugly power and insolent politics, the trumpet child will surprise us by doing what seems impossible: ruling the world with grace, patience, and love. The cross and resurrection is the paradigm here: God exercises power through weakness? What!? This poor, executed, wondering prophet-teacher is the exalted Lord? Give me a break! And note well, it is the human race that will be surprised, not simply the heathens and non-Christians. The over-confident and self-assured church is a disobedient church. Matthew 25 is also a paradigm here. Both parties, the righteous and the un-righteous, are surprised at what they hear from the eschatological Judge. We ought not think that we know what the trumpet child’s tune will be. He will surprise us.