Starting the Week with a Poem

For our first devotional since Christmas, it seems very appropriate to start with this poem by civil rights leader and theologian Howard Thurman. As you read this poem and the scripture following, reflect on what it means for you to live post-Christmas this year. Perhaps ask God to help you spend some time reflecting on commitments you may want to make in 2021 to live out Christmas well.

When The Song of the Angels is Stilled
Howard Thurman

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.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ - Matthew 25:34-37