‘In The Bleak Midwinter’ is a favourite Christmas carol of many, even though its first-verse lyrics may well reflect more about the English weather than they do of Christian truths. The last verse, however, often resonates with many as we reflect on what Jesus means to us and how we want to bring our gifts to Him.
‘What can I give him?
Poor as I am.
If I were a shepherd
I would give a lamb.
If I were a wise man
I would do my part.
But what I can I give him,
Give him my heart.’ (‘In The Bleak Midwinter’, Christina Rosetti)
Christmas is about God’s great gift to us. Jesus gives us a glimpse into God’s heart of love. John’s Gospel does not contain any of the traditional stories about the birth of Jesus, but introduces us to Jesus as ‘the Word’, the One present at the beginning, our Creator God. John goes on to explain that Jesus reveals who God the Father is to us: ‘No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.’ (John 1:18) We now know that God is love, because Jesus reveals love to us in all He does.
