for Brian

At Christmas

We celebrate

Emmanuel

God-with-us

Yet we can live our lives

Oblivious to God’s presence

With us

In us

God comes to us

Without power

As a defenceless child

Our apprehending of God

Is similarly fragile

And we must reach

Deep within ourselves

So that it is nurtured.

The real gift of Christmas

Is seeing God in others

And myself

We are all alike

Made in God’s image

We are all alike

Despite the differences

We are all alike

God-with-us