The Risk of Birth

Nathan Stam
Children/Communications Pastor

I thought I'd kick off December and the Advent season with an Advent poem from Madeleine L'Engle (probably best known for her A Wrinkle in Time series). I'll try to post some more of these as Christmas approaches.

The Risk of Birth (Christmas, 1973)
Madeleine L'Engle

This is no time for a child to be born,
with the earth betrayed by war and hate
And a comet slashing the sky to warn
That time runs out and the sun burns late.

That was no time for a child to be born,
In a land in the crushing grip of Rome;
Honour and truth were trampled by scorn-
Yet here did the Saviour make His home.

When is the time for love to be born?
The inn is full on the planet earth,
And by a comet the sky is torn-
Yet Love still takes the risk of birth.