Kevin Hartnett Poetry

He Came for Us

He came not to a temple
Nor to a palace bright;
His face felt not the sunshine,
But homeless chill of night;
No fragrant linens wrapped Him,
His bed was rude and spare.
He came among the lowly,
Their lowliness to share.

He came as Son of David,
God’s kingdom to increase;
To warring sons of Adam
He came as Prince of Peace.
The prophets had foreseen it-
This shoot from Jesse’s stem-
The promised hope of Jacob 
Would come from Bethlehem.

 
He came to free a people,
For ‘Jesus’ was His name;
To bear the sins of many,
The Lord of Love, He came.
He numbered with transgressors;
God’s judgment He withstood.
The splinters of the manger
Foretold a cross of wood.

 
He came for us, true Son of Man,
He came to pain and strife.
The Promised One, Emmanuel,
He came to bring us life!

--K. Hartnett, December 2005

I tried for a contemplative, quiet "feel" with this one.  What a wonderful truth that God so loved the world that He gave His only Son for us (John 3:16).

Christ Is Born in Bethlehem!

Join your voice to angels singing, 
Christ is born in Bethlehem! 
Son of God, His purpose bringing, 
Christ is born in Bethlehem! 
To the very home of David, 
Comes the shoot of Jesse’s stem; 
Ancient promises fulfilling- 
Christ is born in Bethlehem!

From the least now comes the Leader! 
Christ is born in Bethlehem! 
Marvel at His gracious favor! 
Christ is born in Bethlehem! 
God selects what men deem foolish; 
Boasting He excludes from them. 
Raise your voice this truth to savor! 
Christ is born in Bethlehem!

 
Shepherd of the blind and helpless, 
Christ is born in Bethlehem! 
Saving Son and Faithful Witness, 
Christ is born in Bethlehem! 
Voice this thought in joyful wonder- 
God Himself aligns with men! 
Praise our Hope displayed incarnate- 
Christ is born in Bethlehem!

--K. Hartnett, May 2006

I was inspired to write this poem after reading a sermon by John Piper called From Little Bethlehem Will Come a Ruler in Israel.  I recommend it.

Look, Mary, Look

Mary look, the baby’s smiling- 
Hearing Joseph call His name! 
Isn’t this the confirmation 
Of that which the angel claimed? 
Yes, your baby’s in a manger; 
Lying in a dirty stall. 
Look again- He’s Son of David; 
King of Jacob; Lord of all. 

Mary look, it’s Joseph crying- 
Worshipping the son you bore. 
What a husband there beside you, 
Kneeling humbly on the floor! 
Tiny babe holds calloused finger; 
Something touching deeply there. 
God indeed is in the stable- 
Granting vision; bringing care. 

Mary look, the shepherds coming- 
Calling out to greet their King! 
Do you know the proclamation 
That they heard the angels bring? 
“You will find Him in a manger; 
Wrapped and lying in the straw” 
Mary, you are not in danger, 
Look how God prescribed it all. 

Mary look, the star appearing! 
Moving higher into view! 
What a strange, but precious wonder, 
There abiding over you. 
See, the star shines into heaven- 
Angels' mark where God met man! 
Hidden from the view of mortals, 
God completes what He began.

Look, Mary, look, 
It wasn’t just a dream. 
God’s indeed at work, 
Despite how things might seem.

--K. Hartnett, June 2006

I am aware of taking a risk with this poem, as I'm sure there are some who would be offended at the notion that Mary was anything but completely steadfast in her faith.  Indeed, I fully agree that the Mary of scripture is a wonderful example of faith, obedience, and loving loyalty.  But I can't help but wonder what all was in her young heart and mind as the events of that season in her life unfolded- especially that day in Bethlehem.  The poem is the product of my imagination; written to encourage all who are experiencing circumstances that are hard to understand. 

Tiny Flickers Overhead

Photo by K. Hartnett

Tiny flickers overhead,

Torches from a thousand ages,

Now at length your work is done,

In my heart, igniting praises.

K. Hartnett, August 1997

He counts the number of stars and gives names to all of them. Great is our Lord and abundant in strength; His understanding is infinite. (Psalm 147:4,5)

The Summer Milky Way; Stars Like Ocean Sands
Best seen from dark skies on late summer nights, the magnificent glowing band called the Milky Way stretches majestically from horizon to horizon.  This view shows some of the Milky Way north of the prominent constellation of Cygnus the Swan.  The band is actually comprised of a seemingly countless number of individual stars spread across the immense distances of outer space.  Astronomers estimate that some 100 to 200 billion stars populate the Milky Way Galaxy.  The bright star to the right in this photo is called Deneb, an ancient name meaning "tail" as it marks the tail of the Swan.  It is one of the most luminous stars in the sky.  Fully 60,000 times more luminous than the Sun, this star is estimated to be nearly 1600 light years distant (9.6 thousand trillion miles!)  If it were as close as the bright winter star Sirius, it would rival the full moon in brightness.  The red cloud next to Deneb is called the North American Nebula because of its distinctive shape 

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His loving kindness toward those who fear Him. (Psalm 103:11)

Looking out into space is like looking into the past.  The light from the stars we see has been en route to us for tens, hundreds, even thousands of years.  Each travels a different length of time depending on the star's distance from us.  Of course stars are not really tiny flickers at all, but enormous globes of fire, hundreds of thousands of miles across.  They brilliantly illuminate like torches the otherwise jet black expanse of outer space.  This little poem celebrates the wonder of this reality, and the effect it has on me when rightly comprehended.