23 December 2011

Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto knowledge of the truth

It's been years since I last posted this little discursus by Luci Shaw, so here it is again. Merry Christmas, dear readers. God bless you and yours unto life everlasting.

It’s as if the infancy were the whole of the incarnation.

One time of the year
the new-born child
is everywhere,
planted in madonnas’ arms
hay mows, stables,
in palaces or farms,
or quaintly, under snowed gables,
gothic angular or baroque plump,
naked or elaborately swathed,
encircled by Della Robbia wreaths,
garnished with whimsical
partridges and pears,
drummers and drums,
lit by oversize stars,
partnered with lambs,
peace doves, sugar plums,
bells, plastic camels in sets of three
as if these were what we need for eternity.


But Jesus the Man is not to be seen.
We are to be wary, these days,
of beards and sandaled feet.


Yet if we celebrate, let it be
that He
has invaded our lives with purpose,
striding over our picturesque traditions,
our shallow sentiment,
overturning our cash registers,
wielding His peace like a sword,
rescuing us into reality,
demanding much more
than the milk and softness
and the mother warmth
of the baby in the storefront creche,
(Only the Man would ask
all, of each of us)
reaching out
always, urgently, with strong
effective love
(only the Man would give
His life and live
again for love of us).

Oh come, let us adore Him--
Christ--the Lord.



3 comments:

Cathy said...

Thank you so much for posting this. Never saw it before. Read it this morning and have been thinking about it all day. He really does invade our lives with purpose and rescue us into reality. And I love the picture. It's perfect. Thank you again.

Mary P said...

Amen. Thank you Gauntlets. I'm thankful that He came as our Savior, not just as a sweet baby in a manger.

pekoponian said...

The Infant does not demand all from us, but a newborn sure does!