We Didn’t Know it Was You

I recently heard the song, “Sweet Little Jesus Boy” for the first time in a beautiful recording by Straight No Chaser. For days the lines, “We didn’t know who you were,” and “We didn’t know it was you” echoed in my mind. How often do we, as a culture, as the church, and as Christians encounter Jesus and not recognize him? It is far too often, I’m afraid.

As Parker Palmer said in his stirring reflection on the On Being blog, “If I’m going to celebrate Christmas with a good conscience, I have to embrace the reality that the person whose birth Christians celebrate on December 25 would not be able to get into this country to attend his own birthday party. And if he did get in, there are many Americans who would not welcome him.”

“Well,” we may respond, “we didn’t know who you were,” reminiscent of the goats in Mathew 25.

In this busy time of year and beyond, let us not overlook the Christ child in all those who are vulnerable, those who are cast out, those who are afraid, and those who are suffering both right next door and across the world. Let us not join the chorus of those who will say, “We didn’t know it was you.”

Sweet little Jesus boy
They made you be born in a manger
Sweet little holy child
We didn’t know who you were
Didn’t know you’d come to save us Lord
To take our sins away
Our eyes were blind, we could not see
We didn’t know who you were

Long time ago
You were born
Born in a manger Lord
Sweet little Jesus boy
The world treats you mean Lord
Treats me mean too
But that’s how things are down here
We don’t know who you are

You have told us how
We are trying
Master you have shown us how
Even when you were dying
Just seems like we can’t do right
Look how we treated you
But please Sir forgive us Lord
We didn’t know it was you

Sweet little Jesus boy
Born a long time ago
Sweet little holy child
We didn’t know who you were