Several decades ago, I came across the writings of The Rev. Howard Thurman, PhD. He was an influential spiritual leader whose teachings guided the initiatives that came to be called the social justice movement. His theology of radical non-violence shaped approaches for The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., PhD and several others.
Dr. Thurman was Dean of Rankin Chapel at Howard University from 1932 to 1944. In 1944, he and Dr. Alfred Fisk co-founded one the first interracial, interdenominational churches in the United States. In 1953, he became dean of Marsh Chapel at Boston University.
One of my favorite writings by Howard Thurman is entitled, ‘The Work of Christmas.’ I share his words with you this week as we transition into a New Year and from Christmas toward Epiphany.
“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.”
Beloved, Christmas is just beginning.
To the future!
Shalom!
