O little town of Bethlehem

When I think about Bethlehem, Israel, several images come to mind. One is the stable where Jesus was born, which has long since been claimed by the Church of the Nativity. Another image is the thirty-foot wall that separates the West Bank of Palestinian territory from the rest of Jerusalem. I think of the checkpoint staffed with Israeli soldiers, the refugee camp started by the United Nations in 1949, and the isolation that the residents feel.

But also when I think of Bethlehem, I think of Phillips Brooks, an Episcopal priest, who was known as the "greatest preacher of the Nineteenth Century." His friends called him "a leader of youth, with a spirit of adventure, in thought, life and faith." This reputation followed him throughout life, as in 1891 he was elected Bishop of Massachusetts.

Why do I think of Phillips Brooks in connection with Bethlehem? Check it out. He penned these words:

O little town of Bethlehem,
how still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
the silent stars go by;
yet in thy dark streets shineth
the everlasting light;
the hopes and fears of all the years
are met in thee tonight.

How silently, how silently,
the wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts
the blessings of his heaven.
No ear may hear his coming,
but in this world of sin,
where meek souls will receive him,
still the dear Christ enters in.


Here's another quote from Phillips Brooks: "Whatever happens, always remember the mysterious richness of human nature and the nearness of God to each one of us."

There's more, but that's enough for today.


In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, Montana
406-208-7314
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/
artwork: statue of Phillips Brooks and Jesus
http://www.dailyencouragement.net/images/people/phillips_brooks_statue.jpg