Lyrics and Longings

No trumpet fanfare hailed the day.
No feasting marked your birth.
But all of heaven held its breath
when mercy came to earth.
No honour guard or census mark
could calculate your worth.
But angels filled the sky and sang
when mercy came to earth.

While Bethlehem played host to God
and shepherds knelt to pray,
the prophet’s ancient call rang out
as mercy came to stay.
King David’s town became the place
where our Creator lay:
and God became a child for us
as mercy came to stay.

The healer of our broken world
lay in a cattle stall,
and mother Mary watched him sleep:
this Jesus, born for all.
The answer for our restless hearts
is cradled in a shawl.
God’s ancient promise now revealed:
this Jesus, born for all.