1 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
you who lead Joseph like a flock!
You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth
2 before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh.
Stir up your might,
and come to save us!
3 Restore us, O God;
let your face shine, that we may be saved.
4 O Lord God of hosts,
how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers?
5 You have fed them with the bread of tears,
and given them tears to drink in full measure.
6 You make us the scorn] of our neighbors;
our enemies laugh among themselves.
7 Restore us, O God of hosts;
let your face shine, that we may be saved.
–Psalm 80:1-7
The psalmist cries out, “Stir up your might, and come to save us! Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved.” (Psalm 80:2b-3) That is the cry. God responds in a way no one ever imagined. A baby, a manger, a Savior, a cross. Jesus comes to save us. Thank God for the gift. Here is a poem by Ann Weems called “The Cross in the Manger.”
If there is no cross in the manger,
There is no Christmas.
If the Babe doesn’t become the adult,
There is no Bethlehem star.
If there is no commitment in us,
There are no Wise Men searching.
If we offer no cup of cold water,
There is no gold, no frankincense, no myrrh.
If there is no praising God’s name,
There are no angels singing.
If there is no spirit of alleluia,
There are no shepherds watching.
If there is no standing up, no speaking out, no risk,
There is no Herod, no flight into Egypt.
If there is no room in our inn,
Then “Merry Christmas” mocks the Christ Child,
And the Holy Family is just a holiday card,
And God will loathe our feast and festivals.
For if there is no reconciliation,
We cannot call Christ “The Prince of Peace.”
If there is no goodwill toward others,
It can all be packed away in boxes for another year.
If there is no forgiveness in us,
There is no cause for celebration.
If we cannot go now even unto Golgotha,
There is no Christmas in us.
If Christmas is not now,
If Christ is not born into the everyday present,
Then what is all the noise about?
“The Cross in the Manger” by Ann Weems from her collection of poems, Kneeling in Bethlehem.