This week marks the first week that things return to ‘normal’ for many people. Children are back to school, work schedules return to normal, the fuss of Christmas and New Year’s Eve are behind us. For Christians Christmas is one of our holiest days as we celebrate the birth of Christ. However, the moment of Christmas often comes and goes very quickly. The realities of life soon overtake us and the memory of what Christmas is about fades. The following poem by Howard Thurman is a reminder of what should happen when Christmas is done.
As you pray this poem reflect on how you are being called to continue the work of Christ.
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 the flocks,
then the work of Christmas begins:
to find the lost,
to heal those broken in spirit,
to feed the hungry,
to release the oppressed,
to rebuild the nations,
to bring peace among all peoples,
to make a little music with the heart…
And to radiate the Light of Christ,
every day, in every way, in all that we do and in all that we say.
Then the work of Christmas begins.
Amen.