Epiphany: Nothing but a Child

LOOK: The Nativity of Christ by Irakli Parjiani

Parjiani, Irakli_The Nativity of Christ
Irakli Parjiani (Georgian, 1950–1991), The Nativity of Christ, 1990. Oil on canvas, 100 × 132 cm.

LISTEN: “Nothing but a Child” by Steve Earle, on Copperhead Road (1988)

From the compilation album To: Kate—A Benefit for Kate’s Sake, sung with Allison Moorer, 2005:

Once upon a time in a far-off land
Wise men saw a sign and set out across the sand
Songs of praise to sing, they traveled day and night
And precious gifts to bring, guided by the light

They chased a brand-new star, ever towards the west
Across the mountains far, but when they came to rest
They scarce believed their eyes, they’d come so many miles
And this miracle they prized was nothing but a child

Refrain:
And nothing but a child could wash those tears away
Or guide a weary world into the light of day
And nothing but a child could help erase those miles
So once again we all can be children for a while

Now all around the world, in every little town
Every day is heard a precious little sound
And every mother kind and every father proud
Looks down in awe to find another chance allowed [Refrain]

Outro:
Nothing but a little baby
Nothing but a child


This is the final post in my 2024/25 Advent–Christmas series. Thanks for journeying with me! If you feel so led, please consider donating; I’ve been having trouble with the embedded Stripe form often rejecting credit cards and then WordPress disabling it (do any of you know of a secure but reliable credit card processor that does not require donors to make an account and that integrates well with WordPress?), but PayPal and Amazon are still options.

I wish you all a very happy Epiphanytide!

4 thoughts on “Epiphany: Nothing but a Child

  1. Thank you so much for your impressive, helpful, sustaining, fascinating and supportive Advent and Christmas series. Your scholarship and literate style are amazing-accessible butsolidly, sensitive and thoughtful I have truly appreciated the breadth and variety of this work, it is a huge labour of love, God bless you and guide you in a devotional New Year, With love from England Su and Bob the cat xx

    Like

Leave a reply to lembasforthejourney Cancel reply