“The Work of Christmas”

 

Preparing our hearts and homes for Christmas took a great deal of time and planning.  Christmas is over … so now what?   Is it time to coast for a bit?

Theologian and mystic Howard Thurman believed that after Christmas, our work just begins.  In seven sentences of his poem “The Work of Christmas,” he describes the work that we should pursue.

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 others,

To make music in the heart.

Musician and composer Dan Forest took this call to action quite literally “to make music in the heart” when he created this beautiful musical setting of Thurman’s poem. “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do it. Because what the world needs is more people who have come alive.” (Thurman) What are you called to do in 2022? 

 

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