Beyond Common Sense

Ah, dearest Jesus, holy Child,
Make Thee a bed, soft, undefiled,
Within my heart, that it may be
A quiet chamber kept for Thee.
My heart for very joy doth leap,
My lips no more can silence keep.
I too must sing, with joyful tongue,
That sweetest ancient cradle song,
Glory to God in the highest Heaven,
Who unto man His Son hath given,
While angels sing with pious mirth,
A glad New Year to all the earth.

Yesterday, we read this poem in our literature class. I had never heard it before. It’s beautiful, and is especially dear to me because of who wrote it! I’m so thankful for my Lutheran heritage and by Dunkards heritage and my Baptist heritage! I am definitely not a purebred when it comes to my “religious” background!

As we discussed the poem we focused on this line:

Make Thee a bed, soft, undefiled,
Within my heart, that it may be
A quiet chamber kept for Thee.

Perhaps I am reading too much into it, but I challenged the class with this question: Why a bed?

As we discussed it, some thoughts came to mind:

• We rest in our beds
• We love our beds as opposed to sleeping in someone else’s bed.
• It’s personal.
• It’s comforting.
• It is quiet.
• I recently heard another author say that most of our best thinking happens right before we sleep and right after we awaken.

With all those thoughts swirling around our heads, we came up with such a wonderful conclusion (hopefully the reason Martin Luther used the illustration) that he is asking for a closeness, a place of uniqueness, a place of quiet thoughts with his Savior. How beautiful!!

And then the writer turns his eye toward the Christmas scene and breaks into the angels’ song:

“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

Luke 2: 14

May you find quiet moments in the hustle and bustle of this season, to rest with your Lord and Savior, the Christ Child!