On Christmas morning, I shared the following poem by Howard Thurman in the message, The Beginning of the Gospel:
When the work 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 nations
To bring peace among brothers and sisters
To make music in the heart.
I love this poem because it connects the birth narrative of Jesus with his "inaugural" speech in Luke 4:16-22 in which he announces his mission. I find always found it interesting that Jesus was rejected by his own people, the people of his home town, for sharing this message of justice and reconciliation that is a part of what the gospel is about. God invites us into an eternity with him that begins today and includes living within the reign of Jesus Christ over all of creation - our hearts, our lives, our families, our neighborhoods, our towns, our state, our country, and our world. Living within this reign means inviting people into the kingdom and striving with him to see the realization of the Kingdom Come. Of course, God does this work, but invites us to join him in it. That's a big invitation to the greatest after-party ever.
As we enter into the new year this week and as you attend New Year's parties, it's time to ask once again not about New Year's resolutions so much as it is time to ask ourselves about the work of Christmas in our lives as we head out into the world to be light and salt. May the work of Christmas begin, continue, and be fruitful through you and I as we pursue the kingdom in Jesus' name.
