
On this Winter Solstice where, in Edinburgh at least, sunrise isn’t until 8:42am and sunset close on its heels at 3:39pm, I give you…
“The Nativity” by C. S. Lewis

Our poem today comes to us from none other than George MacDonald. The influence of this man on the great C. S. Lewis was well-known. He died before Lewis was born, but he still looked upon him as a spiritual father and referred to the great Scotsman as “my master.”
The poem is entitled, “A Christmas Carol For 1862: The Year of the Trouble in Lancashire.”
For both today and tomorrow I am posting one of the most remarkable, strangely comforting, but deeply subversive prophetic passages in the entire Scripture. These words, from the mouth of a young, pregnant Mary are as powerful now as they ever were. For those who think the Gospel nothing more than one’s personal ticket to heaven with little social impact, these words easily challenge such erroneous assumptions.
Today, I give you –
“The Magnificat” (Luke 1:46-55 NRSV)
And Mary said,
‘My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
48 for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
50 His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
52 He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
55 according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’
Um, wow.
If we are made in God’s image and God sings, then we should be singing, too.
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