The chill is more than weather-deep.

Cuts to the bone. Troubles sleep.

Aching fingers press tight to aching hearts.

Eyes squint into the cold; weep. 

A second winter in this glacial state

Of terror stalking all the earth. Hate

Can warm the blood, and does – too much;

But cannot make the fear abate.

United only by their outrage, nations yearn

For healing – for a cure – spurn

Idle talk of “experts.” Politicians

Kindle chaff of headlines, make them burn.

There is no vaccination for despair.

There is no mask to filter out the air

Of darkness pressing in and pressing down;

No solace for the talking heads to share.

Into this mess, Messiah speaks a word

One syllable, audacious and absurd:

“Hope” is only for weak minds in denial

Yet He speaks it – in the Advent hush He’s heard –

“Hope” to all the suffering, all the bound;

“Hope” to all the desperate, drowned

In broken promises and never-ending bad news;

“Hope” – Heaven-wide and resonant, surround sound

Angel-chorus ringing down the years…

Incarnation, cancelling ALL fears

With “Hope” and “Rescue” and “Salvation” …

This tiny planet singled out from the spheres

And galaxies and cosmos (all made by His hand)

To receive Him, the One who can withstand

Death itself – He conquered it, for all, for all time –

Even now, even this, planned

And in His reach to redeem.

Remember that, when tidings seem

Trapped in iterations of bad to worse…

When nightmare is the only kind of dream.

Remember that, when earthly words compete

With His Word and repeat

Misery and defeat ad infinitum. His Word is Law –

And Truth and Light and Warmth complete.

He is the promised One

Still keeping promises. The Son

Who chose to stoop to serve to die

To rise again. Story begun

In Advent. Remember:

Candles lit against December;

Birthday blessings for our Hope, our Jesus;

Cold darkness cannot hide the ember

Of God come for us, soon coming for us, again…

Our bright beginning, and our brighter End.