Published: Jan. 6, 2021

Like so many of you, I have spent the afternoon watching in horror the footage from our nation’s capital. As a people who proclaim the Prince of Peace, we condemn these acts of violence. This is not Christian. This is not patriotic. This is not normal.
 
On this day of Epiphany, the twelfth day of Christmas, we look again for the arrival of the light that shines in the darkness. Only we won’t find it in the manger any longer. Now, we must look in our mirrors. We are the body of Christ now.
 
Every Christmas, I close each service with a prayer from Howard Thurman called The Work of Christmas. It speaks about what Christmas asks of us as believers. More than ever before, two lines stand out: 
 
to rebuild the nations, 
to bring peace among neighbors.
 
Wherever you are, whenever you read this, I ask that you pause and pray. If you don’t have words, try asking God for peace. If that doesn’t work, the full text of The Work of Christmas is below:
 
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 neighbors*,
to make music in the heart.
 
May it be so.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen
 
*the original poem said “brothers”