O
little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie!
Above
thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by.
Yet
in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light;
The
hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.
For
Christ is born of Mary, and gathered all above,
While
mortals sleep, the angels keep their watch of wondering love.
O
morning stars together, proclaim the holy birth,
And
praises sing to God the King, and peace to men on earth!
How
silently, how silently, the wondrous Gift is given;
So
God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His Heaven.
No
ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin,
Where
meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in.
Where
children pure and happy pray to the blessed Child,
Where
misery cries out to Thee, Son of the mother mild;
Where
charity stands watching and faith holds wide the door,
The
dark night wakes, the glory breaks, and Christmas comes once more.
O
holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray;
Cast
out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today.
We
hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell;
O
come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel!
--Phillips
Brooks, 1867
The
hymnwriter speaks of Bethlehem's dark streets full of slumbering
people, unaware of the party happening in the stable. While the
heavenly host looked on, a mother, an adoptive father and a few
shepherds welcomed the King. They knew the "great glad
tidings”—and so do we!
Last year I attended a
missions conference. I heard stories of Christians reaching out to
victims of human trafficking in the United States. My friend Claudia
talked about her ministry to local refugees from war-torn countries.
Another lady told of a camp she is starting for troubled girls. We
all sang praise choruses and hymns to the accompaniment of a local
band of women known as the Chick Band. In the middle of a joyful
song, I suddenly remembered where we were—a few blocks from the Las
Vegas Strip. Vegas has a reputation as a very dark place (and we do
have our share of darkness, as any city does), but here in the
heart of Sin City we praised God and listened to reports of His work
around the world. We celebrated the Everlasting Light.
Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, but I know this season may not as joyful and bright as you desire it to be. I pray that you will find a glimpse of the Everlasting Life.
photo credit: Fergal of Claddagh via photopin cc
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