By Steven Norris
Every Christmas, I have a little tradition. I have never told anyone about this, because I do it for my own heart as an act of prayer. After the presents are opened and the dinner guests have gone, I open my computer and read a poem from Howard Thurman entitled, “The Work of Christmas.”
Thurman, a theologian and modern-day mystic, is known for providing a spirituality of the Civil Rights Movement in America. It is said that Martin Luther King, Jr. carried two books in his briefcase at all times: a Bible and a copy of Thurman’s Jesus and the Disinherited. The poem mentioned above reads as follows:
“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.”
The Advent and Christmas seasons are pregnant with promise and possibility. The birth of the Christ-child signals the beginning of a new era and a new kingdom. Its fulfillment, however, is forthcoming. We are invited to usher in the realization of the Christmas promise — a new king and a new kingdom.
The Apostle Paul picked up on this reality in the decades after Jesus’ death and resurrection. Writing to the Romans, he said, “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait…” (Romans 8:22-23). The pregnant hope of Advent leads to a creation groaning in the pangs of childbirth.
The first step of living the Christmas miracle involves receiving the gift of God’s love, the gift of Jesus. The second step is to hear the call of Jesus to the disciples: “Come, follow me,” and get busy making it a reality in our homes and neighborhoods.
It should be profoundly obvious that followers of Jesus actually follow Jesus. We should obey his commands and do the things he instructed us to do. The Church should be a place that embodies the alternative values and commitments that Jesus espoused.
As we follow Jesus in the year ahead, let us not shy away from leaving the 99 to go in search of the one. Let us strive to make our churches and faith communities places of healing and unity, as opposed to places of wounding and alienation. Let us strive to use our resources to help those in need and to make sure that all God’s children have the provisions necessary to thrive. Let us sing, dance, celebrate, throw extravagant block parties, worship, make beautiful art, and be generous with the resources God has put in our care.
As Jesus said, “Freely you have received; freely give” (Matthew 10:8). With Christmas Day behind us, it is time to let the work begin.