A Savior for all Seasons…
One of my favorite Christmas songs is found in our United Methodist hymnal, but seldom heard on the radio. “In The Bleak Midwinter” is a hauntingly beautiful tune with lyrics by the nineteenth century poet, Christina Rossetti.
In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone…
In those two short lines, the author paints a vivid picture of the dark days we face as the calendar turns from one year to the next. We feel them already, as the sun sets far too early and we pile more blankets on the bed.
Was it cold when Jesus was born? Not likely. But for us, Christmas comes near the solstice when sunlight is at a premium and we struggle to find warmth and light in a dark world. We worship a baby, a Savior, who comes to us in the midst of our winter. A winter of the spirit or a winter of the flesh? The source of the cold and dark matters little. For we know in our hearts that Christmas comes to us… Jesus comes to us… when we need Him most.
Our God, heaven cannot hold him…
The prophecies are fulfilled. God’s son breaks into our humanity and gives us the light of a star, the promise of new life.
What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give him: give him my heart.
This Christmas, let us celebrate the beauty in a frozen world. Let us rejoice in dark nights when we are never alone. Let us worship the Savior who holds us close and keeps us warm in His love, despite the bleak midwinter.
Rejoice! He is coming!
Janice Maynard
Comments
Post a Comment