The Hills are Bare at Bethlehem
text by Royce J. Scherf
hymn arrangement by Ralph Johnson
The hills are bare at Bethlehem
No future for the world they show
Yet here new life begins to grow
From earth's old dust, a greenwood stem
The stars are cold at Bethlehem
No warmth for those beneath the sky
Yet here the radiant angels fly
And joy burns new, a fiery gem
The heart is tired at Bethlehem
No human dream unbroken stands
Yet hear God comes to mortal hands
And hope, renewed, cries out: Amen!