Lapis Lazuli
In the ancient world gifts of great worth
Would be given at the birth
Of those who were great and powerful,
Giving little heed to those that were sorrowful.
They came with gold, frankincense and myrrh
And from this we may infer
That a manger was not what they expected.
If they had known, if they’d suspected
Would their journey have started?
From their homes would they have departed?
Yet when they arrived they saw a truth
Lying in the straw, in a place uncouth.
They found the king of all the world -
Not with an army and banners unfurled -
But in the arms of his earthly mother
Protected only by a stable’s cover.
The artists of the Renaissance
Painted without complacence
To bring their own gifts of adoration to that manger -
To this scene they were no stranger.
Their costly gift they bestowed on Christ’s mother.
A cloak of blue and no other
Was a worthy gift
And in this they knew no thrift.
They used a pigment made from lapis lazuli,
More costly than gold, that caught the colour of the sky.
But for our sake Christ bore gifts beyond price.
And after there were denials thrice
Gifts of thorns, wood and iron nails
Were given and by a love that never fails
Accepted so that our salvation would be secure:
Christ died and passed through death’s door.
Gold, frankincense and myrrh were the gifts of the magi
And from the artists, the gifts were of lapis lazuli.
These gifts celebrate the birth of Jesus
The saviour who was sent to save us.
But we were all responsible for the gifts of thorns, wood and iron nails:
It was we who tried to kill a love that never fails.
But Christ has risen from the dead,
This is a truth for heart and head,
That we should respond to God’s great love for us
And share it with those who are around us.
David Bradshaw
December 2008