IT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN DECEMBER W/M: Bob Bennett Historians say it was a different day When Jesus was born long ago For shepherds in fields at night Would not have been a winter sight What the season was we can never know But a calendar date Is not the thing we celebrate It's the miracle of mercy we remember When God the Son wore human skin To save us from our guilt and sin Though it may not have been December Astronomers suppose a planet arose Venus on a clear night, not a star No anomaly of astronomy Without a telescope to see The naked eye can only go so far But whatever glowed that night, God proclaimed "Let there be light" And we are living in creation's burning embers For the One whose wounds were planned Stretched out a Baby's hand Though it may not have been in December It's not that facts don't really matter It's a question of what really matters more In an endless war of words, The Good News goes unheard And we set aside what Christmastide is for There are those who say there are countless ways The life of the spirit is expressed You can take your choice Of any truth, of any voice Keep only what you choose and lose the rest But the God of Eternity Stepped into history As humankind's first immortal member Now goodwill comes to all the Earth At our Blessed Savior's birth Though it may not have been December It may not have been in December