The hymn is certainly appropriate for Christmas and Epiphany but today in our worship service it was also quite appropriate as we continue through this season after the Epiphany. The theme of the service related to God's justice and the ways in which Jesus turned the order of the world upside down with his ministry and presence on earth.
I found this You-Tube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTD_Zz829So of a girls choir singing Star-Child but they omit the verse that I think is the most powerful and the one that really touched my heart as we sang it today in worship. It speaks to the sad reality that there are so many children in our world who have had their innocence stolen by the neglect and abuse of others. There are so many places in our world where children will not be given the chance to simply be children because they are dealing with the harsh realities of the brokenness of this world.
And while these lyrics were very difficult for me to sing this morning, I also found power in them as they left my lips. They challenged me to do what I can to be an advocate for those children who are continually marginalized by our society. In my role as the Family Services Coordinator at TriState Habitat for Humanity, I have the opportunity to bring change to the lives of children living in poverty through the reality of safe, decent, and affordable homes for their families. This is one way that I can remind families and the communities in which Habitat works that God is Emmanuel - God with us.
Here's the verse that's not in the video and that touched me so deeply:
Street child, beat child,
No place left to go,
Hurt child, used child
No one wants to know:
This year, this year
Let the day arrive
When Christmas comes
for ev'ryone, ev'ryone alive.
- lyrics by Shirley Erena Murray
May this year, this new year, be the year when Christmas comes for everyone alive. Amen!
Thanks for being a part of my journey!
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