Friday, December 23, 2016

Cancel Christmas?

I read a flippant (I hope) remark on FB the other day: Maybe we should just cancel Christmas this year.  No, my friends. Now is when we need Christmas more than ever. This year perhaps more than any other lately, Madeleine L'Engle's poem needs to resonate in our hearts.

God did not wait till the world was ready,
till . . . nations were at peace.
God came when the Heavens were unsteady,
and prisoners cried out for release.

God did not wait for the perfect time.
God came when the need was deep and great.
God dined with sinners in all their grime,
turned water into wine.

God did not wait till hearts were pure.
In joy God came to a tarnished world of sin and doubt.
To a world like ours, of anguished shame God came,
and God's Light would not go out. 

God came to a world which did not mesh
to heal its tangles, shield its scorn.
In the mystery of the Word made Flesh
the Maker of the stars was born.

We cannot wait till the world is sane
to raise our songs with joyful voice,
for to share our grief, to touch our pain,
God came with Love: Rejoice! Rejoice!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Another great song is with Mame Dennis seemingly destitute, the song "We Need A Little Christmas" sung by Angela Lansbury seemed very apropos.

Happy Holiday
D

MikeC said...

Thank you so much for that!

Tahoe Mom said...

D ~ yes. I have thought we needed a little Christmas very early this year.

Mike ~ one of my favorites, but most appropriate this year.