Christmas will soon be here

Just thinking about Christmas and the idea of what could take place now with a new Christ Child. Where would Christ reveal himself and to whom?

Christ will not come how we expect him to. God’s actions cannot be anticipated. The second coming could be heralded by a woman just as easily as a man – most likely in the third world but possibly not, may be poor, a refugee, perhaps disabled, from a dubious background. What ever and how ever it happens, we will be taken by surprise, challenged and not everyone will find it easy, acceptable or understandable.

So, while reflecting on this I put down the following…. You have the benefit and misfortune of reading the first draft.

OK?


Urban tunes

We thought it was a radio
you know, what we used to call a ghetto blaster
far too loud for this time in the morning
and as it was the start of the shift
we were still thinking too fondly of our beds
to appreciate such a racket this early
so our section leader trotted off
to do the decent thing.

when he came back we all thought it was odd
he looked like he was on something
like he was really excited and happy
two emotions you seldom experience in our line of work
and the music seemed even louder

It was getting to me, that music,
like I wanted to dance and laugh
but I called over and asked
“What’s happening, man?
Why didn’t you switch off the damn music?”
but he just laughed and waved us towards him
we followed and as we did, the music seemed to fill us
like a burning light, too hot to bare
yet too good to think about letting go.

It was an old garage with corrugated sides
pitted with holes and littered with junk.
we had passed this place many times
without considering it in any way
but as we looked in
it was like some huge rush of joy and excitement
was pouring over us
making us feel both in awe of what we were seeing
and full of a special importance
that we had been chosen to come here
to see this miracle take place

Resting on the base of an old trailer
wrapped in sleeping bags and an old coat
was a young woman
drawn with exhaustion but overflowing with joy
as she held a baby in her arms
an older man stood beside her
wrapping her in his coat
looking relieved and so happy
it made us want to dance.

And despite the old stack of cardboard boxes
and the rusting metal littering the floor,
despite the door stuck permanently two thirds open
this scene was as perfect and as true
as anything we had ever encountered
then the music filled our heads with bright lights
made us want to shout for joy
got us dancing around
like the mad idiots we surely were

crazy dustbin men
dancing a wild jig
in a back alley
early on a winter morning