Garth Hewitt

Making Holy Dreams Come True

What have they done to the “Little Town”?

Imprisoned it in a concrete wall

Bethlehem – once a holy city

Trapped inside a ghetto wall.

Here where angels sang of peace

Where love and hope were born anew

Once surrounded by a heavenly host

Now surrounded by a concrete view.

Yet people crushed and hidden away

Still celebrate on Christmas Eve

Lighting candles for the child –

They still remember – still believe.

So light a candle this Holy Night

For Bethlehem and Beit Sahour

And for all the people caught inside

That cold and grey prison wall

Longing for a world of peace

Where all are treated equally

Where all can recognise their worth

Where all can live with dignity –

Where all can join hands with neighbours

Whether Muslim, Christian or Jew

And find a way to live together

Making Holy dreams

Making Holy dreams come true.

O God, from the heart of Bethlehem
From the heart of occupied land
You have sent a message
To shake the world
Thank you for the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem
That gives so many clues as to your character
In the birth of this child we discover a spirituality
Of hope, peace, justice
Thank you that a child born in simplicity
Amongst a poor community
Speaks of the values of the way of peace
Thank you that you are a God of the poor
The marginalised
Those for whom there is no room
And that’s why this is a way of life and a theology
That gives such hope
Because no one is forgotten
May we hear the call
And live out the lifestyle
That helps to build a community
That reflects this alternative way
Of a loving God
A community of justice
That asserts simplicity
Humility
And the worth of every human being
Thank you that you are a humble, generous God
Who stopped to show us the way of love
In Bethlehem

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Making Holy Dreams Come True

Christmas Prayer