It’s a mild winter day here in Houston. The last few leaves are being persuaded to drop with the assistance of an occasional light breeze. The the second growth figs are waiting for the birds and squirrels to harvest them. Max and I have been enjoying all this on the back porch. He is doing more sleeping than watching as the only company has been a noisy robin, two female and one male cardinal. (Even in Houston the squirrels seem to hibernate.) It is fitting to me that we spotted four birds.
This is the fourth day of Christmas. The Twelve Days of Christmas says of this day “my true love gave to me four calling bird,...”. While there has been years of debate on what the lyrics stand for, I chose to look at the thought that this day refers to the four gospels. — Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Each calling us to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. What a gift.
We see in the gospels four perspectives of the birth, life and ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus. His humanity, His love, His teachings about how we shoud live our lives and treat our brothers and our enemies. His calls us to continue His ministry — calling the lost to Him by going, teaching and baptizing.
I see in today’s lyrics a renewed call to this gospel. As I continue celebrating Christmas over the eight days that follow I grasp those passages that through the Holy Spirit give me the strength to follow such as:
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” Romans 1:16-17
He sought us when He came, He redeemed us when He died, He declared victory over death when He rose again. My wish is that all would hear the call — come to Him, trust Him and tell others about Him. as the wise men sought Him when they were called, seek Him We celebrate now His coming as an infant, we wait patiently for Him to return to claim His own.
Come Lord Jesus, come.
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