But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old,
from ancient days.
Micah 5:2

Phillip Brooks served for many years as the rector at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Philadelphia. In 1865, when he was 30 years old, he took a leave of absence from the church and traveled through Europe and the Middle East. During Christmas week that year, he wrote home about his travels in Palestine:

“After an early dinner, we took our horses and rode to Bethlehem. It was only about two hours when we came to the town, situated on an eastern ridge of a range of hills, surrounded by its terraced gardens. It is a good-looking town, better built than any other we have seen in Palestine.”

“Before dark, we rode out of town to the field where they say the shepherds saw the star… As we passed, the shepherds were still ‘keeping watch over their flocks or leading them home to fold.’”

Back in Philadelphia a few years later, Brooks undoubtedly recalled his trip to Bethlehem as he wrote a poem that would eventually be set to music and sung in his church. We still sing it today, almost 150 years after he first saw the little town of Bethlehem.

O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by

But while the residents of the city are in slumber, God is at work, keeping His everlasting covenant:

Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight

The final verse of the carol has always been a favorite of mine. It’s a prayer that every human heart would be a manger, where the Holy One might dwell and bring peace:

O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray
Cast out our sin and enter in, be born to us today
We hear the Christmas angels, the great glad tidings tell
O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel

In the same way that the angels rejoiced and told others about the birth of Jesus, angels rejoice today when any person repents, and Christ comes to dwell with that man or woman (Luke 15:7).

During this advent season, let’s pray that our lives would be the holy habitation of the Messiah in the days leading up to Christmas and all year long.

Prayer: Lord, make me aware each day during this season that you are with us even now. Help me to abide in you as Christmas draws near.