Epiphany is the day that the Christian church recognizes the arrival of the Magi to the stable in Bethlehem. There they knelt before the manger and presented their gifts to the Christ child. The start of Epiphany also marks the end of the Christmas season, and this year that day is January 6th. Reflecting on the end of one liturgical season and the beginning of another, Howard Thurman, an African-American theologian, educator, and civil rights leader wrote a poem, “The Work of Christmas”. As we carefully pack up our family nativity sets and as we place all the Christmas decorations in the attic for another year, may it give us reason to pause. More than that, may it give us reason to respond.
The Work of Christmas
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 flocks,
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 the people,
to make music in the heart.
Peace to You,
Josie
The poem “The Work of Christmas” is from Howard Thurman’s The Mood of Christmas and Other Celebrations
Leave a Reply