O Bethlehem! O Bethlehem!
What thoughts of thee arise,
Of shepherds on the hills at night,
Of Wisemen guided by the light
That shone from starry skies.
O Bethlehem! O Bethlehem!
How sweetly sounds the name!
We lisped it in our cradle days,
And now with many a song of praise,
We journey there again.
And as we go to Bethlehem,
How short our trials seem!
For angels in the night we hear,
That whisper peace and silence fear,
Until "the morning's beam."*
To Bethlehem, to Bethlehem,
Our wandering feet must come:
For there within its gates of gold
A path of freedom shall unfold,
And harmony be won.
How beautiful is Bethlehem,
What joy to work and wait!
For we have found a manger-throne,
And conscious of our Christly home,
We enter heaven's gate.
*Poems by Mary Baker Eddy, page 14.
