Christmas Presence Poem by C Richard Miles

The mystery of Christmas: God alone
Knows why He came to earth, gave up His throne
When He could have so many precious things
To satisfy Him. Yet the King of Kings
Chose Bethlehem, a Palestinian town,
Two thousand years ago, to be dropped down
And in a meagre manger to be laid.
Though we believe that kings and shepherds prayed
There at the place where Christ Himself was born
Is this the only message from that morn?
For is it only prayer that God demands?
Should we do something more, take in our hands
Responsibility for others, for the Earth?
It may be that for this He came to birth:
To make us think, not of ourselves, but others;
He came to show that we should all be brothers,
Not islands, isolate from each one's needs.
Our selfishness, perhaps, the blood He bleeds
At Easter, when that Child, new born today,
Died, demonstrating there's another way,
Another path, though it may be quite rough
So most of us will find the going tough.
Tough thoughts indeed, when Christmas seems to say
There's only fun-filled presents on the way.
Yet God, Himself, bestowed a precious gift
At Christmas and so each of us should lift
Our voices and give thanks He chose to dower
The present of His Presence and his Power.