The Christmas story continues to beguile me with unexplored beauties and mysteries that live in textured layers written by the Eternal in the truest, most powerful and loveliest story ever written. These brief poems explore the particular wonders of His story revealed in colors painted by the Artist behind all of creation, yet breathtakingly present in even the smallest detail. Maybe the point of this is that the Love of God in the Christmas event has entered every facet of every human life, for His Love will inevitably. reveal His glory.
I
He came golden
Though there was no gold
In the stable that night
Yet His heart
Beat fresh from Heaven`s
Golden throne,
He came purer
To Earth than the purest gold
In Herod`s court,
His heart prepared
Already laid for sacrifice
Innocent
His face content
Obedient, beautiful
And perfect—
He came God`s
Own gold to buy us back
For glory.
December 1, 2016
II
Gladness greens my heart
With glory this time
Of year when people
Smile their brightest smiles
And laugh their deepest
Laughs when hugs come quick
And linger long when
Sentimental songs
Seem fresh and new and
Hearts feel cleansed renewed
Eager to hear the Savior’s
Songs for joy all day long.
December 2, 2016
III
Red rises up
At Christmas time
Like a banner
Of love lifted high
For all the world
To see that
Mysteriously
Human blood
And God`s
Now flow together
In the birth
Of His Son
And hers.
Red pumps richly
From His tiny heart
Who declared
In Creation
The Earth
And the Sun
The Moon
And the stars
By name
Proclaimed
Each one
As His, so good.
Red washed the straw
In Bethlehem
For with each birth
Blood will flow
In covenant
With the Holy One
Who risks His all
For every breath
Incarnate
In His spoken Word
Heaven coming
To the Earth.
December 3, 2016
IV
If God is of gold,
Most precious
Wholly pure,
Then we are of silver
Semi-precious
Semi-pure,
His Love our
Refining fire
Burning away our dross,
His Spirit
Brushing away
Our sins and tarnish
Until we are fit
For His service
In His Holy Kingdom.
December 4, 2016
V
Everywhere brown
Surrounding
God`s Son
Born on Earth
To be laid
In a manger.
The straw fresh and
Fragrant filling
His bed,
The cow
Munching quiet
By his side.
His hair like His
Mother`s, His
Skin like
His fathers,
His eyes like
His own.
Everywhere brown
In Bethlehem
Town comfort
For Him
Come down
To His Earth.
December 5, 2016
VI
At the foot of his bed
Lay a lamb
Newborn
Purest white
Unspotted
Snuggled against
His mother.
His white so bright
He shone through
The flickering
Flame of the
Oil lantern
Like a star
In the night.
Like a rare and
Wonderful coat
Of snow
Transforming
The winter ground
Into a shining
Miracle.
He lay there
Content
And quiet
Blessed by
Innocence
Destined for
Sacrifice.
December 6, 2016
VII
Even the blackness
Of this night
When He was born
Held no fear
Nor any dread
Nor ant doubt
But hope.
This blackness
Did not hide
Nor conceal
Rather revealed
The brightness
Of His Star
And the angel hosts.
This blackness
Never boasted
Power
But yielded
Joyful
To the Son
Eternal.
December 7, 2016
VIII
His gray does
Him proud though
He is humble
He is obedient
And quiet
Doing the work
God gives Him.
His gray never
Distracts while
Mighty events
Surround Him
Even mount Him
On the way
To God`s birth.
In crisis
His steady gray
Can carry
Our vulnerable
Savior
All the way
To Egypt.
Unobtrusive
Gray faithful
Every plodding step
Bears His King
Into Zion
For triumph
And sacrifice.
December 8, 2016
IX
Though there was
No royal purple
In the manger
Where He lay
There was lavender
In the straw
Above His bed.
There was this
Hint of purple
Washed clean
By sun
And air
Freshening
His stable.
For lavender
Lightly colors
Fields while
Gathering
From the soil
The scent
Of Heaven.
December 9, 2016
X
It had seemed
A random strand
Her own mother
Had woven
Into her cloak
An occasional
Touch of pink.
It now seemed
A purposeful
Touch a gentle
Loving though
Hurried embrace
Her mother
Understood.
It whispered
Love and pride
In this moment
She needed
Most her mother’s
Strengthening
Accepting smile.
December 10, 2016
XI
His prayer shawl
Woven by his mother
Worn by his father
Always
Took His mind
Before God`s throne
As he knelt.
One bright strand
Bright orange
Had caught his eye
As a boy
And yet still
Gave him joy
As a man.
In the glow
Of that orange
He always
Remembered
That as glorious
As God was
He was love.
December 11, 2016
XII
There was nothing
Yellow
In their shelter
That night
But together
They shared
A memory.
The day
They had been
Betrothed
There had been
Lovely yellow
Flowers
In the fields.
Those flowers
Had rejoiced
With them
All these months
As they learned
Together
Faithfulness.
December 12, 2016
But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David.”
mstonecypher52 