‘All the lights are going out, & the moon is on the rise,
down at the hotel they’re closing up for the night.
But here in this place the music's just begun,
softly he plays his tune.
And many a deaf man listens with delight,
'cause the baby's in the manger tonight.’
Reality — Garrison Keillor concludes one of his great monologues talking about it, quoting one of the early American philosophers. Once again, when it comes to the Christian way, reality should be our passion. That’s where the rubber hits the road, where phrases like ‘love is patient & kind’ need to be put into practice.
The great events in God’s history are all real: creation, captivity, release, Christmas, Good Friday, Easter. I believe we need to keep these stories firmly fixed in reality, tell them happening in our town, & not in the clouds or a foreign place.
2 All the streets are cold and still, and the people in their beds;
down in the city the shops are closed for the night.
But here in this place the room is filled with life -
Mary has borne her son.
And the dead are waking up to see this sight,
'cause the baby's in the manger tonight.