Good news to the world

Been meditating on The Advent Project of Biola University these past weeks to settle and engage my mind and heart for Christmas. Each day features a devotional, composed of a Bible verse (it's all from Isaiah on this year's iteration), a poem, an artwork (painting, graphic design, or sculpture/installation), a song, and a brief reflection. Today's meditation is on Isaiah 49:1-7. In this passage, God's salvation plan unfolds to include the Gentiles (". . . I will also give you as a light to the Gentiles that you should be my salvation to the ends of the earth," says verse 6). That includes you and I who are not of Jewish descent. That is good news to the rest of the world. 

Christopher Harvey's poem, “The Nativity,” is featured the latest entry, and I'm sharing it in full here for you to enjoy and think deeply about.

UNFOLD thy face, unmaske thy ray,
Shine forth, bright Sunne, double the day.
Let no malignant misty fume,
Nor foggy vapour, once presume
To interpose thy perfect sight
This day, which makes us love thy light
For ever better, that we could
That blessèd object once behold,
Which is both the circumference,
And center of all excellence:
Or rather neither, but a treasure
Unconfinèd without measure,
Whose center and circumference,
Including all preheminence,
Excluding nothing but defect,
And infinite in each respect,
Is equally both here and there,
And now and then and every where,
And alwaies, one, himselfe, the same,
A beeing farre above a name.
Draw neer then, and freely poure
Forth all thy light into that houre,
Which was crownèd with his birth,
And made heaven envy earth.
Let not his birth-day clouded be,
By whom thou shinest, and we see.