The Work of Christmas

As we start our new year together, still in Christmastide, I would like to share Howard Thurman’s well-known poem “The Work of Christmas.” Howard was born in Daytona Beach, Florida, just 34 years after the end of the Civil War. He was raised by his grandmother, who had been enslaved on a Florida plantation during her lifetime. Howard grew up to be an author, a theologian, a pastor, a mystic, and a primary mentor of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He witnessed great changes in our country over his 81 years of life. I recommend his book Jesus and the Disinherited.

Many of us are putting away our Christmas decorations and looking ahead to the new year. May you hear the words of Howard Thurman and strive to be a blessing, as you are so blessed. Happy New Year, St. Bart’s!

Blessings,

Mother Nina+

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 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 all,

To make music in the heart.