And I need you to start small in...Palestine

This is a Christmas Poem written by one of my colleagues for our office Christmas service. I was really moved by it at the time (especially as the was an image of the nativity against the background of the Wall on the screen as he read it) and asked for a copy - not realising he had written it himself. I asked him for a copy and got it when I came back to work yesterday.

And the Father said to Jesus…

I’m having a re-think, I need to reorganise,
So I need you to be flexible as part of that exercise.
Don’t worry if you feel you’re not fully skilled
Personnel provide training, it’s part of the deal.

It’s a big job of course, it’s about life and death.
It will mean incarnation among those who have breath -
In Iraq and the Congo, as well as Come Dancers,
Sublime, ridiculous; life’s poorest, financiers.
They all have their life, yet will all die in time,
And I need you to start small in - Palestine.

It’s a big job of course, it’s about saving the earth,
From itself, from each other; new values, new worth,
Where there’s love for each other, where peace will reign;
There’ll be justice for all, even joy through the pain.
Where all work together, people cease saying ‘mine’,
And the best place to start work is in – Palestine.

It’s a big job of course, and it must involve Hope,
If it works as expected, not sure how you’ll cope.
I won’t leave you alone, watch out for the dove!
But in order to save them, it needs demonstrable love -
Beyond anything, anywhere, in the annals of time,
And the best place to show hope is in – Palestine.

It’s a fixed term contract, with negotiable wages
Mary’s expecting you, as are the three sages.
You’ll start work in a manger, but rise to Team Leader.
And as for your targets, we’ll review those next Easter.

MPK
Dec 2008

Finding some real meaning

I'm in the middle of Christmas rehearsals and if I have to sing "O Come All Ye Faithful" once more this year, I may scream.

Actually, I've got to sing it at least once today (probably twice given as it's a rehearsal) and then at least 3 times tomorrow...not to mention the office carol service on Wednesday, church next Sunday, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day...

It's no wonder that my dear Choir Directors keep yelling at us to "remember the meaning" of the words we're singing. It's hard when the alto line for some carols is essentially a middle C on repeat. Fun stuff.

One carol I have no problem in remembering the meaning of is "O Little Town of Bethlehem", which is why I was somewhat surprised to hear that my friend's Dad (who's a vicar, like so many of my friends' parents) has banned the carol from his church. It seems he feels that the words really don't reflect the state of Bethlehem today.

When I was in Bethlehem last summer, I reflected on the irony of the line "how still we see thee lie". Last Christmas, I couldn't sing the carol without remembering the children of Aida refugee camp, the wall snaking its way around the town and the division of the Church of the Nativity. The same's true this year.

People may find the words trite, the poetry quaintly Victorian, but within the carol is the real meaning of Christmas:
"How silently, how silently
The wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of His heaven.
No ear may his His coming,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive him still,
The dear Christ enters in."

In the mean time, check out Amos Trust's Christmas in Bethlehem appeal and Christmas cards (as above).