O Star of Bethlehem!
Rise o'er the fringed hem
Of the horizon's bar.
Rise, and with radiance white,
Born of thy path's delight
Lead us away from night
To that poor Manger, lowly and afar.

" Once there were three wise men. "
So spake the Scripture.
Wisdom, come again
And lift our blinded eyes.
Open, O threatening skies,
And let the fair star's light
Into our inner sight;
And we shall rise,
As once, in long gone years,
Men, whom we now know wise,
Followed despite of fears.

Scoffers have railed,
And those of ardent faith —
Yea even those —
Say that our Christianity hath failed
Because o'er God's green earth
Rivers of blood have run;
And, done to death, or blank with hollow dearth,
Myriads have grovelled, died beneath a sun,
Which, spite of woes,
Rises immutable, in golden calm,
Indifferent to alarm!

Here on this Christmas night,
When candles deck the fir trees, all a-light,
When Christmas cheer purges our hearts of fear,
And when in some deep cell
Of all our being there sings an undertone that all is well —
We know that Christianity can never fail!
That little Child born in the manger,
Jesus, meek and mild —
That Man divine,
Righteous in wrath, though full of love's rare wine —
That Saviour, suffering because our sin
Ravaged his soul within;
Martyred and pale —
Nay! Christianity can never fail.

But, Fellowmen,
We , we have failed again. —
We, Nations of the world,
Who have unfurled
Standards of selfish greed, or slothful ease —
We, upon bended knees,
Must spread our palms, and joy to feel the nail
Pierce quivering flesh —
Or else our Lord shall fail.

Woe, woe betide
Unless each tender side
Shall bare itself to what the Spear may bring
Of quick, sharp sting —
'Tis we , O Christ! O Man of Galilee!
We , who have failed thee!

And now on this thy night,
The night of joy,
When thou didst come, Heaven's promise to the Earth,
When Mary held thee close, a little boy,
Against a Mother's breast
For succor and for rest —
On this still night,
Thy star must shed its light,
Into our hearts, until,
With holy flame,
And in thy name,
We who believe that thou canst never fail,
Must rise, an army clad in steeled mail,
And pledge ourselves anew to that deep love
Which thou hast died to prove.
Let us give love to all our fellowmen
Who, as we do, falter and fall, yet rise again
If love but faileth not.
O Christ, who standeth at the door,
Craving to enter — knocking as of yore,
Whose love is without blot —
The time has come when we, who know that thou canst never fail,
We must prevail.

Jesus, of Calvary and of the Cross,
Ourselves we dedicate
This holy night, when thou for peace wast born;
We, of a world disordered, torn and threatened by grim fate,
Pledge love again, peace and good-will to men,
Against thy loss.
Thou savedst us, who for our sins hast died —
Must we not now save thee, O Crucified!