Christ’s Birth: A Symphony of Irony

- A Remedy for All

By Isaac Karikari (bkkarikari@yahoo.com)

Shepherds watched their flocks
By night
And (later) on some star
Some magi had their sight-
A son on our horizon.
The dawning of redemption
With the yawning of a baby
Beauty, magnificence and wonder
Against the squalor of an animal stall;
The beauty, grace and calmness
Of a child
Against the bellows, brays and lows
Of beasts.

Christ’s Birth: A Symphony of irony
The Saviour born in Bethlehem
The King in a stall and not a court
Sleeping in a manger and not a cot
Son of a carpenter, and not a big shot

Christ’s Life: A Symphony of irony
The Saviour from Nazareth
The King who paid tax
The King who needed a pass
The King who rode an ass



Each detail of this tale
Seems like an unusual strand
For a story of glory
But that was God’s divine hand.

So it was as shepherds watched
Their flocks by night,
That the angel proclaimed, with
Good tidings of great joy;
The birth of the Son
Light for sight
Warmth for the heart
And rest for the soul.

The Sun of Righteousness is up,
Healing in His wings.

If you are just like any other,
Those to whom nothing is a bother
But now situations have you down in pain
And rising up requires a crane
This is for you.

If you are out of government
And often spoken of as The Serpent;
And now you are in torment
And there is no end to your lament
This is for you.


If you are the shepherd of a country,
And you’re being pushed to show gallantry
With claims that you are frail
And fears that you will fail
This is for you.

If you are seeing the world as unfair
Cos all around you is darkness and despair
Don’t lose hope;
Don’t turn to dope.
This is for you.

The Son of Righteousness is up
Mighty to save.