Written in dactylic tetrameter with ABCB rhyme scheme. The unstressed syllables in the last dactylic foot are omitted in the rhyming lines to create a pause and reinforce the rhyme.

How could it be that the God of the cosmos, mys-
terious, infinite, formless, sublime,
hinders himself¹ in a grand condescension to
finite from boundless, imprisoned in time?

Power reduced to the infantile grasp and om-
niscience confined by the stereo gaze.
Alpha, Omega,² the scriptures proclaim, yet fra-
gility, weakness his body betrays.

Mary, oh Mary, now ponder you must³ for your
Babe called Immanuel dirties his cloth.
Soon he declares that his kingdom is one that can-
not be disfigured by rust or by moth.⁴

Tarry no longer, we pierce him to die for his
oneness with Yahweh he claims to possess.⁵
Death does not settle, his tomb does not hold. He re-
turns resurrected, the hundreds profess.⁶

Bid ye that God in his love for the world would de-
liver himself to the death we are due?⁷
Christmas, a myst’ry that buckles the knees. It is
yonder from neutral—it’s tomfool or true.

© Tanner Rinke 2013

Footnotes

1. “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” – Philippians 2:5-8

2. “And he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment….'” – Revelation 21:6

3. “But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.” – Luke 2:19

4. “‘…but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.'” – Matthew 6:20

5. “‘I and the Father are one.’” – John 10:30

6. “Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.” – 1 Corinthians 15:6

7. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 6:23