1 A fox has a den,
a bird has a nest,
yet Jesus the Christ
had no place to rest,
save for a manger
in dim, dusty room,
an old, rugged cross,
a newly-made tomb.
2 Now risen, Christ walks
the streets of our town,
befriending the poor
wherever they’re found,
sharing the trials
of those without homes,
and bearing their pain
in feeling alone.
3 How can we leave you,
Christ, there with the poor,
to share in the life
that they must endure?
Here in our hearts there
is room! Be our guest!
Christ said, “I can’t come
without all the rest.
4 “When I was hungry,
you saw I was fed;
with no place to sleep,
you gave me a bed.
You were good neighbors
when I had no home,
now welcome the least,
my loved ones, my own.”
5 Compassionate Christ,
forgive us, we pray,
that we have ignored
the poor in this way.
Give us your vision
to see in each face
a neighbor in need
of our love and grace.
Source: Faith That Lets Us Sing: fifty new hymns and short worship songs #4
Mary Nelson Keithahn, a retired United Church of Christ ordained pastor and church educator, has been a curriculum writer-editor, journalist, and lyricist for musical dramas and anthems. She still works out of her home in Rapid City, South Dakota, as a free-lance writer. In 2016 she published Elfie: Adventures on the Midwest Frontier, a chapter book for children, and Embracing the Light: Reflectioins on God’s Holy Word, a collection of meditations for individual or small group use. Augsburg Fortress also published Sing the Stories of God’s NEW People, the third in a trilogy of Bible story-based collections of songs for young children, written with her longtime colleague, John D. Horman. The two have written over a hundred hymns togethe… Go to person page >
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