by Rachel Campbell

Her young gaze, wearied by painful birth,

Lovingly fixed on the tiny vulnerability swaddled before her,

All around draped in the completeness of humility.

The protective presence of her yet to be known husband,

Compassionately watching o’er both her and the Child she’d borne.

She inhaled the pervasive earthiness,

Cattle companions rustling softly,

And she pondered.

 

Sweet melodic glory erupting through night-time darkness,

Men of the fields, euphoric with the beauty of musical perfection.

Mere shepherds entrusted with the divine plan of the ages,

Weather-hardened faces had softened in breathless adoration,

Witnesses to the One on whom the Father’s favour rested,

The silence of the centuries broken,

Heralding the Almighty’s salvation.

And they’d worshipped.

 

Angelic words recalled, swirling in her consciousness,

Favoured by God, humbled to carry the One spoken of by the prophets,

Overshadowed by the power of the Most High, her Lord,

Mesmerised by the wonder of transcendent miracle.

Her mouth tenderly formed the sweet sound of His name, ‘Jesus’.

As her soul magnified her Lord and God,

And her spirit rejoiced in her Saviour,

Mary worshipped.

 

Eternal glory lying helpless in borrowed manger,

Everlasting fulfilment contracted to fragile insignificance,

Humanity and deity in perfect union.

For He had made himself nothing, this Son of God,

And had espoused all the splendour of heaven, this Son of Man.

So, let us also treasure up these things,

And ponder in our hearts the One who is,

Emmanuel.

 

Cover photo by Birmingham Museums Trust on Unsplash

Rachel will be one of our speakers at our Perennial Gen Zoom gathering on January 15th. We’ll be talking about the church and the role older women have to play in its life. Click here to learn more and plan to join us!