“In this moment, as we grapple with the fear, the uncertainty, the awakening, I turn to poetry, a small but powerful emotional geography that has the ability to reach inside of us, map our humanity, anchor us on solid ground, heal, and lift our souls to the heights of joy.”
—Kwame Alexander, Light for the World to See.
The centuries old French hymn, “O Holy Night” features the phrase, a thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices.
I think of this line often. How do we rejoice in the midst of challenging times when the flame in our hearts, our communities—our world—is desperately low? How do we make sense of all of the emotion that collides in December?
I pray these words can help begin to stoke our home fires, to help us lean in to and watch for the One True Light of our Savior, Jesus. Blessings to you and yours this Christmas season.
December Invitation
December sweeps in with longing—
innate yearning
to cradle the Christmas story close.
We squint at twinkling bulbs
and join the weary world
as the old hymn chimes,
seeking, awaiting l i g h t
that pierces darkness:
beacon of unbridled hope.
News and noise pour in
and mingle with jingle bells
and Nativity scenes.
Tender hearts swell
to almost breaking point.
This crescendo of the already-not-yet-ache
is invitation afresh
to not only wait
for the glorious Morn
but to enter unparalleled now-embrace
of our Savior,
Immanuel.
poem + art by Erika Crowl, all rights reserved
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Beautiful writing my dear!