Christmas Poem

A baby in a manger,
A lovely Christmas symbol,
And when the New Year comes,
We put him away
With the artificial tree.
An artificial baby?
Of course! That’s what’s convenient.
"No crying he makes,"
No demands on our lives,
A precious decoration.

But wait—what about the grown-up Jesus
Who won’t be stashed away in a box?
Who told us to forgive offenses
And love our neighbors.
(He can’t mean those rowdies who party late at night
When we want to sleep,
Or the jerk
Who lets his dog use our lawn
as a toilet. . . can He? Not those neighbors.)
Not that Jesus.
John 14:15 "If you love me, show it by doing what I've told you."