We were at the Christmas Eve carol service at Grimethorpe Pentecostal Church last night and Joy Gascoigne, the pastor there, read out this poem by Godfrey Rust. As we celebrate Christmas today, it’s worth remembering that Jesus, whilst described as God’s ‘indescribable gift’ to us (2 Cor 9:15), is not the kind of present we can manipulate, not a panacea for our ills, but a Saviour for our sins. Behaviour matters as much as beliefs to Him; He is the Lord and we’re not.
‘What kind of Messiah does anyone want?
What sort of Saviour will do?
Before we subscribe and get dunked in the font,
what kind of Messiah are you?
What kind of Messiah does anyone need
in our postmodern hullabaloo?
What qualifications will help him succeed?
What kind of Messiah are you?
Will you stop us from worry and calm us from fear?
Will you free us from debt and fatigue?
Will you send David Cameron packing next year?
Will you put us on top of the League?
Will you heal our diseases with mystical magic
so we’ll live to 102?
Will you make it all better when things turn out tragic?
What kind of Messiah are you?
Will you find me a partner and get me a job?
Will you save me a good place to park?
Will I be superfit even though I’m a slob?
Will you keep me a berth in the ark?
Will you answer my prayers (but not everyone else’s)?
Will you make all my wishes come true?
Will you bless all of Arsenal’s strikers (not Chelsea’s!)?
What kind of Messiah are you?
Will you be kind to Hindus and good atheists?
Will you send all the bad ones to hell?
Will you show Richard Dawkins he doesn’t exist?
What is it you’re planning, do tell!
Will you stop every war, every flood and tsunami
and remove the excess CO2?
Will you fix all the people who’re driving me barmy?
What kind of Messiah are you?
Will you make sure my mortgage rate doesn’t go higher?
Stop me drinking too much alcohol?
Can I win EuroMillions and go and retire
to a house on the Costa del Sol?
Will you bless my belief and ignore my behaviour
and vindicate all that I do?
Oh, just be my own private and personal Saviour—
what kind of Messiah are you?’