Joy, echoes of earth

'Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing o'er the plain;
And the mountains in reply
echo back their joyous strain:
Gloria in excelsis Deo!'

When I was young and foolish, I treated with disregard (and probably a little derision) the idea that the earth was a living thing, valuable and lovely in its own right. Maybe I judge myself a little harshly; but as I have grown older (and I hope a bit less foolish), I think I have come to treasure the earth more fully as a beloved and sacred creation, valuable on its face, independent of the benefits it provides to the beings that call it home. I have gained a deep appreciation for the reverence of many Native American and other ancient societies who personified nature and earth as a loving family, close by to nurture and to live in harmony with them.
So what's all this got to do with joy? Look with me at the words of this carol, probably originating in the Lorraine region of France in the 18th century, then gradually traveling west to be translated and/or reinvented in English, Scots, and Gaelic. Angels people our songs, stories, movies, trees, and hearths so often at Christmas as to be ubiquitous; at my house, even more so. We are used to the notion of their songs and proclamations. What catches my eye in this stanza is the next two lines: the mountains echo back joy. Now I know what you'll say --- if angels had sung out cursing, the mountains would have echoed that back, too. And you are probably right. My inner vision, however? Those mountains recognized the song they were meant to sing, from the beginnings of time; and giddily, powerfully, FINALLY gave it up! The song was joy.
Joy, echoes of earth.