Christmas Eve

The traffic has stopped and the people they flocked to the stores for to spend all their lolly
'twas Christmas you see but they weren't filled with glee and few of the poor souls were jolly.

And the churches were empty, for no one was flocking to celebrate God at this time,
and uttered the Vicar, the Bishop, and even the Choir:
'how terribly shocking, how terribly sad, we've sunk it the mire - How did it get so bad?

'Do you remember the time when missing church was a crime - A time when all (high and low) flocked to visit?
But now (holy cow!) when they gaze at our crib and most passing by ask, "who is it?' '

Is it 'pro-Palestinian' they ask, and then say, 'In these modern times shouldn't the couple be gay?'
And they wonder, appalled at the ox and the stall, 'Isn't that unhygienic a new baby in hay?'

But why would they think that - What on earth have they heard?
Because I'm sure that we've told them - we've read them the Word!
Made sure that they know and made sure that they've heard!

Have we packaged the Christ-child as a Christmas card motif?
Have we made our observance something that's votive?
Have we made Christ a campaign - not really the reason - and missed the whole point of this odd Christmas season?

Are we caught up with campaigns and positions and rights
 such that our celebration this special of nights
rings hollows and empty and facile and trite?
Have we forgotten it all, that God's love made flesh is the point of tonight?

So to all Bishop and Vicars and Pastors and Leaders,
To laity all - and especially lay Readers!
To all Christians who sigh and bemoan, this affair with twists in their knickers, removing their hair!
To those who will point to decline and not growth - a plea to remember as carols they sing:
It's us that make others aware of the King!

So don't sit in your huddles and quail at the sight of less congregations this wonderful night
But make the Christ real in the way that we live and celebrate Jesus

God's Christmas presence - His gift!