It seems so long ago
And impossibly far away,
That a very unlikely event
Made possible Christmas Day.
So far from the slopes of New Zealand,
So distant in time and place,
A girl gave birth to that child
That even we Kiwis embrace.
The night was deceptively calm
As the shepherds travelled to see,
And choirs of angels sang round
That very first Christmas three.
Wise men from the desert
Came to pay him homage.
But under the stars and out in the night
Were those who sought his damage.
He was born into troubled times.
The king even wanted him dead.
Endangered from the beginning,
As news of the child King spread.
All these mysterious visitors
And all those unusual sights
Amazed both Mary and Joseph
On all of those Bethlehem nights.
What was it about this child?
Who … what for … and how?
Something about this story
Amazes us even now.
See, it’s not just a fairy story,
Of trees and presents and fuss.
This story really happened
And impacts on all of us.
We sense, beyond the tinsel,
There’s something deeper and true.
And if you want the truth, my friends,
Christ-mas holds the clue.
Look past your Santa and shopping,
And filling your glass to the brim.
Cut through the crepe and wrappings,
And try to connect with him!
Ken Francis
stfrancischurchtairuanz 