Ed Pacht's Christmas Poem

Murmur of Miracles

Stone-hard frozen winter ground,
stone-hard frozen human hearts,
stone-hard wall of sin before us,
as we bake the bread of misery,
in the oven of rebellion,
in the fires of evil we have made,
and eat that bread of misery
as we stand before that stone-hard wall,
and weep.

A soaring song is sounding in the sparkling sky,
proclaiming there the eight-day dedication
of a blessed Babe in gentle hands,
whose life is light,
as of the lamps before the Ark,
whose candle glow needs no oil,
outshining as it does the bright mist of angels
singing to the trembling shepherds in the field.

A new temple now has come among us.
Behold the shining pillar of hope revealed.
Beyond the night arises our salvation,
and now the veil is torn,
now the stone-hard wall is broken;
now we see the heavens' gates cast wide apart;
and, sin destroyed and stone-hard hearts unfrozen,
we step forth, recite the ancient words
and through the ages enter in
to joy eternal.

- ed pacht