Love Came Down at Christmas


 

I don’t know about you, but I think this may be the happiest of all Christmas decorations. Seriously. Santa Claus alone is awesomely wonderful anytime, anywhere. But you put Santa on a unicorn, riding through a rainbow- forget about it! “Have a Magical Christmas!” Indeed. I believe I already have! I so want to meet the people who live in this house. They certainly have it going on for Christmas 2020.
Sometimes the holidays face tougher crowds than usual. Certainly as we come to the end of this year of Covid where we are all tired and anxious and frustrated. Those years when we have lost those dearest to us and the holidays just seem to magnify the empty place at the table and in our hearts. Times when it seems the world has jumped the tracks beyond repair and we feel it is futile to sing of peace on earth or goodwill toward anyone at all. Yes, there are times we need a magical Christmas.
As we have celebrated the first two weeks of the Advent season at church I have felt particularly inspired this year. Making ornaments with children and youth, talking about all that can happen in our lives as we wait and hearing people of all ages wrestle with the marvelous and disturbing story of Christmas has been refreshing for me. I am seeing this season of getting ready for Christmas with fresh eyes and hearing the story in new ways.
I love the poem by Christina Rossetti, “Love came down at Christmas”.
Love came down at Christmas,
Love all lovely, Love Divine,
Love was born at Christmas,
Star and Angels gave the sign.
Worship we the Godhead,
Love Incarnate, Love Divine,
Worship we our Jesus,
But wherewith for sacred sign?
Love shall be our token,
Love be yours and love be mine,
Love to God and all men,
Love for plea and gift and sign.
Don’t get me wrong, I still love Santa riding a unicorn through a rainbow, but nothing can be more magical than what these words describe.
Love came down at Christmas.
Peace.

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