In my poem, today, I purposely stayed away from the words Christians commonly use to describe Jesus without changing who he was, who he is, and what he did. As a Christian, I try to use terminology which accurately describes the truths of Scripture and at the same time is understandable to the culture I live in.

 God who is kind, just, and holy
 Came to a world that was unruly
 Stuck in addiction and disease,
 Full of envy and hard to please.
  
 He entered as a human babe
 And in a cattle’s bed was laid.
 Few people noticed on that day
 God had arrived. They stayed away.
  
 He grew up as a normal child,
 An apprentice at his father’s side—
 Despising not manual labor,
 Gaining skill and earning favor.
  
 He always respected his parents.
 (Although it soon was apparent
 He heard the Spirit more clearly.)
 He did not leave home too early.
  
 Instead of ambitiously climbing,
 He waited for the Spirit’s timing.
 Assured of God-the-Father’s favor,
 He did not strive to please his neighbor.
  
 He split from family expectations
 And yet kept love’s obligations;
 He resisted every lustful infection.
 To Satan’s bribes paid no attention.
  
 Most of his earthly relatives
 Thought his words had no relevance
 Like religious leaders of that day,
 They rejected him and walked away.
  
 All the rejects in his culture
 Found in him a joyful future.
 Children gathered around his feet
 They knew his love was pure and sweet.
  
 Jesus affirmed their simplicity,
 Pointed out adult duplicity,
 Lived in transparent integrity,
 Yet most around him could not see.
  
 Their eyes were blinded by his Light.
 They preferred the works of night—
 Applauded him for a miracle,
 Wanted only what was magical,
  
 Desired to be comfortable,
 Hated to be vulnerable,
 And not accepting boundaries,
 They missed the point of his stories.
  
 Jesus moved on with a smaller crowd.
 Though disunited, unlearned, and proud,
 They were eager to follow and learn;
 So he did not treat them with scorn.
  
 By putting himself on display,
 He demonstrated God’s way—
 Choosing righteousness, justice and mercy
 Even when treated adversely.
  
 He, the perfect one, took our disease,
 Chose it freely, though not without pleas
 For another way, if possible;
 His suffering—incomprehensible!
  
 When they saw Jesus nailed to the cross,
 His followers fled, believing he’d lost.
 The Father accepted work of his Son
 The Spirit announced “Victory is won!”
  
 Jesus rose from death and the grave
 With the power to free every slave—
 Those ruled by unhealthy desire,
 Those in bondage to thieves and liars
  
 He is here in this present world
 His love for us is undeterred
 Call on Jesus and you will find
 Compassion, purpose, peace of mind,
  
 The strength of will to do what’s good,
 The joy of living as you should;
 Connect with him in all you do,
 In what you think, in where you go,
  
 Enjoy companionship of the Spirit
 Do things which bring eternal merit
 Discover, in this, where you belong
 Celebrate Christmas all year long
  
 Jane Ault
 12/16/2019