Star watchers, then and now
Every year we recount the story of the ancient astronomers, who, reading the signs in the sky, traveled hundreds of miles to find the Christ child whom they sought with all their souls, so they could see Him with their own eyes and pour out their honor with a torrent of exotic valuables.
Several years ago I wrote a song for a Christmas Eve service, and the lyrics still haunt me. Because I can imagine how many souls on the planet will be looking up into the night sky this Christmas, metaphorically or literally, looking for some star or sign that those old stories are true. Wanting to see something luminous that will convince them that there really is a God who is truly with us, and who knows that we exist.
COME TO ME
I got a Christmas card today
I couldn’t read the poetry
I couldn’t take the phrases in
because my mind began to spin
on sentiment and mystery
and how they square with history
the current world reality
and God it’s all confusing me
it’s getting harder to believe
when Bethlehem is under siege
when angels dance on TV screens
and people steal from manger scenes
when good news is so seldom heard
and peace on earth is just a word
good will a relic from the past
how long can this confusion last
every star is out tonight
shining that unearthly light
and once again I scan the skies
with forty million other eyes
searching for that ancient star
listening for that distant choir
reaching out through time and space
to hear Your voice
to see Your face
I know you came a million miles
that You became a tiny child
You came to earth to set us free
Jesus hear me asking--
come to me
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