The work of Christmas
Every year as Christmas approaches, I remember Howard Thurman’s reflection about the challenges laid down like a gauntlet by the arrival of Jesus in our world.
When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the Kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among people,
To make music in the heart.
We know the truth of this. Even while we celebrate with family and friends and colleagues during this season, we are aware underneath it all that our world is hurting: refugees are without homes and welcome, people are starving in spite of abundance, our border with Mexico is a place of fear and violence for asylum seekers, politicians have forgotten their responsibility for the common good, our beloved Earth suffers from our refusal to fix what is destroying it, truth and justice are victims of lies.
In the face of all this, what work of Christmas will help you “to make music in the heart” – yours and others’? Where might you find joyful co-conspirators for this work?
Kenosha, WI
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