PDXme

My favorite otter pup on SW Yamhill. Photo: Daniel Ronan

O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee to-night.

While at a Christmas Eve service at the church I grew up in, the first verse of "Oh Little Town of Bethlehem" got me thinking. Do I know another "little town?"

With the risk of falling trap to biblical implications, I'd venture to say that Portland is this "little town." It seems that astonishment and beauty resound in the "O" year after year for Bethlehem, much like feelings for our fair city.

But beyond this trite onomatopoeia, there is truth that lives in this city, a truth, I'm sure similar to that realized by Phillips Brooks, the Episcopalian preacher from Philadelphia who authored this poem.

Aside from the references to the newborn king, the town of Bethlehem is depicted in the dead of night. My guess is that even during the day, Bethlehem remains ever quiet.

Walking in (quiet) streets, be it Bethlehem, Philadelphia, or Portland, reveals to the passerby much more than what's on the ground. Above the sky, and all around, there persists something more to be attained, a calling.

If it's a truth, a calling, or a purpose, our cities reflect this intangible however omnipresent value.

From ancient towns to modern metropolises, the city-state has been the foreground for rights, both human and civil, religions of all creeds, and people of all nations.

But if we are to wish for peace in the new year, it's important that we hold our cities to a higher standard.

Cities in the United States have languished beneath the burdens of greed, environmental degradation and social disparity.

As we confront the issues of our day, and the problems of our time, it's important that we find what exactly the value of the city is and what it means for our future.

At the same time, learning how to best address our problems will give us greater ability to see that "everlasting Light."

Anyway you slice it, peace comes from divine inspiration.

Stay sexy Portland.