I'm amazed at what a different feeling I get when I just read the words of a Christmas carol. I've sung these words forever, but when I read the words I can linger over their meaning, their significance for me, and the timeless truths they have expressed for years. Here is the poem, "O Little Town of Bethlehem" written by Phillips Brooks in 1866. (Each line of a poem starts with a capital letter, but I've left the capitals off the beginning of some of the lines so you'll just keep reading them as a continuation of the line before.)
O Little Town of Bethlehem
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 procalim 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.
O holy Child of Bethlehem! Decend 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!
Thank you, Phillips Brooks!
Paulita
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