They Chopped Down a Tree...

We chopped down a tree
And decorated it with shiny metal
Ornaments.
And underneath it we placed
Gifts that would
Delight the hearts of the receivers.

They chopped down a tree
And decorated it with shiny metal
Nails.
And on it they placed
The Gift Who would
Delight the hearts of the receivers.

That Gift
Who would be as a Fruitful, Gracious
Abundance
In a broken, sinful world.

They chopped down a tree
Not knowing
Of the promise of God's restoration:
The Tree of Life
In a formally barren wilderness of thorns.
That Gift
Becoming the Hope of the world,
The Everlasting Promise
Of God's Love.

They chopped down a tree
And placed on it Jesus--
Emmanuel--
That Gift
Who would redeem our souls.


"So shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. For you shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree... and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off"
(Isaiah 55: 11-13).