Long shadows fell across the floor – the first Christmas
1 Long shadows fell across the floor,
the sign of early morning light,
as Jesus gasped a human breath
and stars were fading from the night.
2 His parents waited for this dawn,
a dawn of love, of faith and grace.
But could a little baby boy
be God born in this horrid place?
3 The angels heralded such hope:
that God is very real and near,
and in the person of the Christ
love entered life and cast out fear.
4 We hear the angel song again,
today the story is re-told,
that in that squalid manger bed
our God was laid and love took hold;
5 Took hold of every willing heart,
began to build with child-like hope
a way of loving and of life
to challenge narrow human scope.
6 But then as now the season passed,
the seeming fairy tale had gone.
Sophistication countered truth.
In childlike hearts, hope lingers on.
Andrew E. Pratt (born 1948)
Words © 2004 Stainer & Bell Ltd, London, England copyright@stainer.co.uk .
Please include any reproduction for local church use on your CCL Licence returns. All wider and
any commercial use requires prior application to Stainer & Bell Ltd
Metre: 8 8 8 8
Tune: WAREHAM
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