Phillips Brooks loved and memorized hymns from his childhood days. By the time he was an adult he had memorized more than two hundred. He became a minister and would come to be the Rector of Holy Trinity Church in Philadelphia. His church gave him a trip to the Holy Land one year, as the church in Taft did for us. It was at Christmastime. On Christmas Eve he visited the little town of Bethlehem. As he stood in the church located on the spot where Jesus was born, he was moved to great emotion. Worshippers were coming singing hymns of the Nativity. Those memories filled his heart and two years later he was able to pen this hymn:
O little town of Bethlehem, How still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep, the silent stars go by.
Yet, in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light.
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.
How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given.
So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His heaven.
No ear may hear His coming,but in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him still,
The dear Christ enters in.
Yes, any meek soul today may still receive this Savior. I sat with a man this morning who has a terminal illness about to end his life. I held his hand and reminded Him of what God can do in a human heart and the eternal life it brings. From his eyes and hand grasp I felt he was letting God know his feelings. After I prayed and said "Amen", he also said "Amen". It was the only word he spoke in our conversation. "So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His heaven". I felt God did that this morning.
