Attitude Measurement - Smith Meyer

Several years ago after a pre-Christmas sermon on servanthood, these two poems came to me. Often I return to them at this time of year. I offer them to you for your contemplation as we near the celebration of Christ's birth.


A Double Take on Attitude Measurement


How great our God, to manger come,
How calm and still he lay,
As tiny babe of lowly birth
He slept upon the hay.

He grew to walk upon the earth,
A carpenter his trade:
As royal heir, he humbly toiled
As common things he made.

He did not deem it beneath him,
To hold a leper’s hand,
Nor to hold a child on his lap
Or help the lame to stand.

He walked among the common folk
And fed the multitude,
And though he was God’s very son,
Quiet, bore taunting rude.

Sometimes do we get to thinking,
As folks, we’re mighty good?
We’re owed a trouble-free living-
The poor – not understood.

We trample on each other’s rights,
To make sure of our own,
We greedily hoard our riches,
Leave hurting people lone.

We search to buy ornate gifts
Expect lots in return,
As more abundance we gather
For more we seem to yearn.

How good ‘twould be, this time of year,
To use the manger crude,
As you’d use a measuring stick ,
To gauge our attitude.

Ruth Smith Meyer

Manger Moment

God,
A babe
In manger laid-
All
Royal splendor
Traded freely
For stable stall.
Inner strength,
Inner knowing
Who he was
Not changed at all.
Come adore him!
I knelt before him,
Taking full note
Of more than
Meets the eye.
I arose,
And as I stood,
I saw the manger
As measuring stick
of
My attitude.

Ruth Smith Meyer