December 10, 2020

December 10, 2020

I confess, I am a big James Taylor fan.  I especially love his version of an old beautiful Christmas song: “In the Bleak Midwinter.”  Click Here if you want to give a listen.

The song is based on a poem written way back in 1872 by Christina Rossetti and there’s a fascinating story behind this beloved Christmas carol.

Rossetti was a devoted follower of Christ who for many years volunteered at the St. Mary Magdalene “house of charity,” a refuge for women coming out of a life of prostitution. In the Victorian Era of her day, economic forces often caused women to eke out a living by selling their bodies. Some of the “women” were only twelve years old.

Rossetti’s efforts in offering Christ and helping find better jobs for these marginalized women came through in some of her poems. For instance, this Christmas carol pictures a Savior who entered our world of suffering and brokenness—a world much like “the bleak mid-winter” of Rossetti’s native England. “Heaven cannot hold … nor earth sustain” Jesus, and yet “a stable-place” and “a manger full of hay” sufficed for Him.

In light of Christ’s great power and love, Rossetti’s poem asks:
“What can I give Him,
Poor as I am?”

This question would have weighed heavily on women struggling to come out of a life of prostitution. With their broken lives, what could they possibly give to Jesus, especially since “Heaven cannot hold Him?”

According to Rossetti’s poem, there is one thing that all of us can give Christ—no matter who we are. She wrote:
“If I were a shepherd
I would bring a lamb,
If I were a wise man
I would do my part,
Yet what I can I give Him,
Give my heart.”

Regardless of our tainted past or our present struggles, there is one gift that Christ wants more than anything—our hearts. I challenge you to look for opportunities to share this message during Advent.  Ask God to open doors for you to share His amazing grace.

Keep the SON in your eyes!
Mark