A Star Shone over Bethlehem
A new star shone on high that night,
Radiant, clear, a cheering light,
A heartwarming beacon seen from afar,
Larger than any neighboring star.
But below in the weary world were few
Wakeful and watchful this sight to view:
Shepherds on duty guarding their sheep,
Those whose worries robbed them of sleep,
Fishers at midnight casting their net,
Astrologers noting the stars’ rise and set.
These were the ones who could look up and see
The star and ask what its message might be.
A Star of Hope
On the hillsides just south of King David’s town,
The sheep and their keepers had long settled down.
Of the five shepherds one was quite new,
Ari by name; he was very young, too.
His jobs for the night, old Lemuel said,
Were to tend the campfire and guard the night’s bread,
Jobs he could do in the wink of an eye
And still have time to gaze at the sky.
And so he came to see the star
Beaming invitingly from afar.
He sat entranced as if in a dream,
Caught up in the light of its golden gleam.
The others returned to find the fire cold,
And Ari awoke to hear them scold.
But he showed them the star
They’d not seen it ‘til then
And its sudden appearance frightened the men.
“Strange sights in the heavens mark strange deeds below,”
Old Lemuel said, “as all of us know.”
“It’s true,” added Nat, “strange things on earth
Like the death of a king or perhaps a birth.”
“Or war,” put in Zeb. “We’ll defend our home
And send the invaders back to Rome.”
“Well,” Lemuel said, “for the poor there’ll be pain.
For shepherds like us, there’s nothing to gain.”
Young Ari said nothing; he didn’t agree.
He thought to himself, “They don’t see what I see.
The star tells of wonderful things to befall.
It brings a message of hope for us all.”
Guy Johnson