Advent Poem: Advent Beauty

In the spirit of silence and stillness, for the next few weeks of Advent, we will be sharing a weekly poem in place of a weekly article. We commend these works to you, in the hope that they will help you enter into the wondrous mystery of Christ’s birth.

Advent Beauty, by John Piper

Tilting on her yearly track
Advent beauty circles back,
Flying faster with the years,
Hardly giving time for tears
First to dry upon the cheek—
Has it been more than a week
Since we laid both young and old

In the ground now winter cold?
Has there really been a spring
When the birds began to sing?
Has there been both summer, fall
Since the Baby in the stall
Called us with a Christmas bell
to sing, O Come, Immanuel?
Tilting on her yearly track
Advent beauty circles back,
Flying faster with the years—
Ah, but overtaking fears.
Let the Lord of advent lift
Every care (an early gift!);
See the Savior and the Son
Shine in advent candle one.