Emmanuel: Hope With Us

This was a poem written for this year‘s Christmas Ever service. Enjoy.

“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel…” 
What a yearning to sing about,
What hope we call annually,
What a name to implore, pray out…

We breathe melodies of old hope, 
Remembering days that seemed dark, 
When one could only huddle, mope, 
And hide against shadows so stark. 

It’s so easy to let our light be snuffed, 
To forget to shield it away from wind; 
After all, there’s a wolf out – overstuffed – 
Yet watching for any hope that’s been thinned. 

Sometimes our wicks spit and gutter, 
And the flame of life can flicker.
We get so worn that we sputter; 
As the smoke rises, we bicker. 

But…whenever we find ourselves lost, 
Take cover from whatever may bite;
Raise your hands, your eyes, amidst the frost, 
And call the name of Him who’s true light. 

“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel…” 
But let us not forget: He’s here! 
His power isn’t gradual,
His light pushes away all fear. 

Long ago, He chose to come to Earth,
To be born amidst the hay and dung; 
He made His love human by His birth; 
For the least of us, He would die young. 

He’s not simply “For Us” from on high, 
Distant, aloof on a pedestal, 
Or waiting until we qualify, 
Or somehow become acceptable. 

We don’t like to admit it, but…
Without help, we wouldn’t make it. 
We get stuck in the same old ruts, 
We run, hearing the word, “submit.” 

And yet, that’s exactly what Jesus did! 
The Maker of all came to be WITH US! 
Because of His great love, so resplendent, 
He made Himself a servant – without fuss! 

Who does that?! 
Who chooses that?! 
Who plans that out across centuries?! 
Who actually follows through on that?! 

…Who, but Jesus? 

Who but He would kneel beside us, 
In our suffering, 
Our selfishness, 
And our sorrow? 

Who but He would feel alongside us, 
In our joy, 
Generosity, 
And gentleness? 

And how could He not? 
For He is love, 
He is justice. 

He’s a gentle king,
Serving those He loves 
(That’s all of us, 
Should we accept Him). 

He made a choice for our benefit, 
To step into the messes we’d made
Of His earth, 
to turn a deficit; 
But take note: this isn’t a fair trade. 

He is with us so much, 
He subjected Himself
To the price of sin’s touch,
In the place of ourselves. 

Jesus stepped through grimy stains 
That cling between wash nights; 
Through times of bloody pains, 
And sweat that stings our sight. 

He chose to live out His love, 
Wrapped up in a human form. 
There’s no,“Well, I think, kind of…” 
He is with us – through all storms. 

He cannot help but be 
Alongside those He loves…
Those He made – with great glee – 
To live with Him above. 

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel…
Stories cannot do you justice,
Though they’ll be told continual, 
And with increasing robustness. 

So…

Let us keep our candled hope lit, 
Fed from within Your fiery heart, 
For it’s a source that never quits,
And makes encouragement an art.