The Work of Christmas

Christmas seemed to fly by, and we’re already into a new year. My poinsettias are fading, all the brightly colored lights have disappeared and it’s as if Christmas never happened. Despite my distracted attempts at a personal Advent — in the midst of meetings, letters, doctor’s appointments and illness — I feel that I missed something important, and now I am unprepared to move forward in the new year with the spirit and urgency of the heart of the Savior. 

We are told it’s normal to have a sense of being let down, disappointed after the anticipation and excitement around the holiday season. What do we do now?

Howard Thurman, the noted African American theologian, expressed it this way in his poem, “The Work of Christmas Begins.”

“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.”

Now, all the holiday romance movies are gone, the Santa commercials and after-Christmas sales are over, and the news and retailers have rushed on to the next thing. So how do I refocus my attention and my heart on the mission of that blessed child and my part in it? 

It always helps me to go back to the Bible and see what God says. The angel Gabriel told Joseph to name the child Mary was carrying Jesus “for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21, New Living Translation). After His baptism and temptation, Jesus returned to His hometown, filled with the Holy Spirit and stated His mission:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
    for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released,
that the blind will see,
that the oppressed will be set free,
and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.” (Luke 4:18, 19, NLT)

It’s critical to remember the urgency of the hour! While we are working hard to meet the responsibilities of daily life — school, work, bills, church — we must keep God’s Great Commission, Great Commandment and Great Concern constantly before us, which are core biblical foundations for Cru® Inner City. That means “we are driven by the Great Commission to share the good news, the Great Commandment to love our neighbor, and the Great Concern to foster justice.”

What is the “work of Christmas”? According to Thurman, these are the people at the heart of Jesus’ mission:

“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.”

Thurman’s powerful words underscore that the kindness of God leads people to repentance. But if they are not seeing that kindness in us, how will they be drawn to faith in Christ?

Instead of new resolutions for this year, we could reflect on 2023. Maybe we intended to call or text someone going through a hard time, help a family or church member in financial need or befriend a stranger — but didn’t do it. Do it now! I know I can’t change what I did or didn’t do but I can press on to do better and complete the assignments the Lord has given me. 

It’s not too late to obey God’s command to love our neighbor as ourselves. Remember Ebenezer Scrooge from Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”? After a life spent in greed and selfishness, he learned to “keep Christmas all year long.” So let the work of Christmas begin now. Ask the Lord to fill us with His Spirit of love and compassion, to show us how to bring His Kingdom to those around us and fulfill the mission of Christ on earth.

Illustration at top by Jarrko Mänty/Pixabay.

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Michelle A. Melchor is a writer and lead editor for Cru Inner City. She has served with Cru for 48 years.

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• Loving Outside the Box
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• Dealing With the Christmas Blues
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