Let the mariners come to Me...
Abner, from India, tells Danie in the Bay
of his despair. 
Eyes wide open, 
in his pocket a worn picture of all he loves. 

Let the mariners come to Me...
The father of the Philippine boy from Bacolod tells
of his fate. 
Only five years old, 
One rotation around the sun for each
of the five brain operations. 
Here on the ship, shoulders back, ten thousand kilometres away, 
he has to keep the hospital’s money wolf at bay.

Let the mariners come to Me...
The captain of the PST2 in Durban, 
stranded four years long, 
missing home, but home 
Afghanistan 
where blood and bombs try to free the land again.

Let the mariners come to Me...
Caught in the crossfire on the high West African waves
where pirates negate your existence and hunt their prey.

Let them come... 
into the manger where the Child of Bethlehem lies
in the stench of excrement and blood. 
Do not stop them...
... hospitals
... pirates
... covid
... harbour authorities.

They belong in My Kingdom:
they know wounds
no need to doubt, no need to ask.

I will hold them close
and lay my hands on them.

My invitation:
Walk with Me
From this day on
My helping hand to grasp
My open ear for each whispered, humble plea
every day.  
-Adaptation of the Afrikaans version of Lina Spies' 'Lied van die Kinders'-

In walking to the crib with each other, the CSO wants to take this invitation - day in and day out - every day - to the men working at sea. Please consider supporting us financially in this Christmas time, helping to care for every mariner visiting our harbours. Help Him to lay His hands on them and then - when you also meet around the crib during this time - experience the joy of the invitation, knowing that it is for you too - every day.

To give a monthly donation through debit order, click here to download the debit order form. Email the completed form back to us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Click here for the different methods you can use to support us.

PS. Listen to Rina Hugo singing 'I'll walk with God' while reading.  Shared with permission.