Exile

O come, O come, Emmanuel

And ransom captive Israel

That mourns in lonely exile here

Until the Son of God appear

Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel

These are familiar words this time of year.  As early as mid-November they can be heard on the radio, and they are sung numerous times at mass during this Advent season.  I've known them since my youth, but the meaning has come to light in a much deeper way as I have come to better understand what it means to be an Exile.

From the website "Online Etymology Dictionary" -

Several etymologies are possible. It might be a derivative of a verb *ex-sulere 'to take out' to the root *selh- 'to take', cf. consul and consulere; hence exsul 'the one who is taken out'. It might belong to amb-ulare < *-al- 'to walk', hence 'who walks out'. It might even belong to *helh-, the root of [Greek elauno] 'to drive': ex-ul 'who is driven out' ["Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages"]

In my 51 years I have cultivated a home, with a wonderful wife and family, a job that provides for our sustenance plus, and a relationship with a loving God - so I will have to admit that I don't feel like one who has been 'taken or driven out of my home', like someone who is captive and in need of ransom.  I don't feel lonely (mostly), and mourning is not something I commonly experience.

So how does this song apply to me, and how can I be considered an exile?


As part of my formation in the Diaconate, I just completed a course in the Old Testament.  Going through the 46 books in 12 weeks - spanning the time of Abraham through the Macabees - was a daunting task, as you might imagine.  In the midst of the almost overwhelming number of dates, names and themes, the idea of exile is one that stuck with me.  

I started to think about times in my life where maybe I didn't feel at home, when I felt like a stranger in a strange land.  Some of times seemed a natural part of life, like when I started my job, or when I met my wife's family for the first time.  The feeling of exile in those situations soon passed as experience developed and relationships were formed.

But there have been other situations where the role of exile has stuck with me - and most of those experiences involve conflicting worldviews.   It seems as I get older and (hopefully) wiser, the Christ centered worldview I have embraced is getting pushed to the side and seen as outdated and 'on the wrong side of history.'  It is in these circumstances where I feel most exiled.  This is an uncomfortable position to be in, for sure.

For a long time I felt like I 'fit' - that my way of thinking and acting in the world corresponded to the way most people thought and acted.  Somewhere along this journey into a deeper life with Christ, that feeling has disappeared, and I have found myself in the same house, in the same country - yet exiled.

 And in a way, I guess that is exactly the way it should be if I am to believe Paul's words  "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Rom 12

Maybe this is a sign that I was not made for this world....