Birthday
The shepherds came, with all their clamor
And sheep and dogs.
The kings came, too, complete with retinues,
And camels and camel-drivers and tents.
It must have been a sight for the folks of Bethlehem:
A veritable circus come to town..
And they came to a STABLE?
Kings and shepherds, side by side
With sheep and cows and donkeys?
And you can’t forget the camels...
Mary and Joseph (particularly Mary)
Exhausted and dead on their feet
With a squalling baby and
no warm bed for the night.
Who’s telling this incredible story?
Not anyone who was there,
Or anyone who has ever traveled
Through crowded streets,
Or been stuck between flights
At a crowded airport
With a baby and luggage and miles
yet to go.
They tell us a romantic tale of stars and shepherds
And glory in the skies,
Of long journeys from distant kingdoms,
And fabulous gifts brought to a fellow king.
But—as is often the case—
Reality trumps the story,
And it is only in retrospect
That earth-shattering, mind-blowing impact
Is assigned to this simple birth:
This forgettable family story
that has been told for generations, through the ages,
and will be told again and again
Until the end of time.
No comments:
Post a Comment