A song for the season

In the western world, we call this the season of peace.

One of my favorite hymns from this time of year is ‘O come o come Emmanuel’. And Emmanuel of course means ‘God with us.’

Here is a version by Linda Ronstadt:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fsqk9FOBtuo

And below are two verses from the lyrics:

O come, Thou Dayspring from on high,
and cheer us by thy drawing nigh;
disperse the gloomy clouds of night
and death’s dark shadow put to flight. R.

O come, Desire of the nations, bind
in one the hearts of all mankind;
bid every strife and quarrel cease
and fill the world with heaven’s peace. R

***

The world is not yet the peaceful and cheerful place of our dreams. We have much still to yearn for.

But we do not lose hope. There remain men of good will. The good earth abides, and the sun rises on
a new day.
***

If asked how these words relate to Agile & Business, I would say this.

Scrum, in its simple way, wishes to release us from our chains of bondage.

Agile wishes to enable the Team to help satisfy, in their small way, the needs of humanity.

Agile wishes to see us united and cheerful.  Maybe much more than that, but at least united and cheerful.

Agile is about beauty and the soul as much as the works and days of hands. (Cf Hesiod)

We work for high purposes, although we fathom them not in every moment. Perhaps you do not agree with the purposes I suggest, but let us agree that we work for more than today’s mere wage.