Over 1800 years after the wondrous events in Bethlehem, the town was still providing inspiration to those who visited the area.  Such was the case with Phillips Brooks.  Thinking  back on his trip to the Holy Land, he penned the lines to O Little Town of Bethlehem, having in mind the children he wanted to sing it.  What a marvelous inspiration his trip must have been.  To think of the night Jesus' birth, there was little fanfare to announce His coming.  Of course, we know the sky was split and the lowly shepherds in the countryside received the good news of the birth but beyond that, there was no pomp, no announcements in the city or towns, simply the quiet of Bethlehem, unaware of the birth of baby Jesus and its significance.  It changed the world and when we receive Him, there may not be great fanfare, but our lives will be changed.

Article taken from Living Stories of Famous Hymns by Ernest K. Emurian. Copyright © 1955 by Baker Book House Company. Used by permission of Baker Book House Company.