Monday, December 25, 2006
The Christmas Creed
I believe in Jesus Christ and in the beauty of the Gospel that began in Bethlehem.
I believe in Him whose spirit glorified a little town, of whose coming only shepherds saw a sign but for whom the crowded inn could find no room.
I believe in Him whom the kings of the earth ignored and the proud could never understand, whose paths were among the common people and whose welcome came from people of hungry hearts.
I believe in Him who proclaimed the love of God to be invincible, whose cradle was a mother's arms, whose home in Nazareth had love for its only wealth, who looked at people and made them see what His love saw in them, who by His love brought sinners back to purity and lifted human weakness up to meet the strength of God.
I confess our everlasting need of God, the need of forgiveness for our greed and selfishness, the need of love for hearts grown cold.
I acknowledge the glory of all that is like Christ: The steadfastness of friends, the blessedness of homes, the power of compassion, the courage of those who dare to resist all passion, hate and war.
I believe that only by love expressed shall the earth at length be purified. And I acknowledge in Christ a faith that sees beyond the partial fact, a trust in life redeemed that looks beyond our present evil, and I pray that this redemption may begin in us. Amen.
I believe in Him whose spirit glorified a little town, of whose coming only shepherds saw a sign but for whom the crowded inn could find no room.
I believe in Him whom the kings of the earth ignored and the proud could never understand, whose paths were among the common people and whose welcome came from people of hungry hearts.
I believe in Him who proclaimed the love of God to be invincible, whose cradle was a mother's arms, whose home in Nazareth had love for its only wealth, who looked at people and made them see what His love saw in them, who by His love brought sinners back to purity and lifted human weakness up to meet the strength of God.
I confess our everlasting need of God, the need of forgiveness for our greed and selfishness, the need of love for hearts grown cold.
I acknowledge the glory of all that is like Christ: The steadfastness of friends, the blessedness of homes, the power of compassion, the courage of those who dare to resist all passion, hate and war.
I believe that only by love expressed shall the earth at length be purified. And I acknowledge in Christ a faith that sees beyond the partial fact, a trust in life redeemed that looks beyond our present evil, and I pray that this redemption may begin in us. Amen.
