Today is the second day of Christmas and in some parts
of the world known as Boxing Day, a day that originated in Great Britain
centuries ago, in which the wealthy gave gifts to those who provided them a
service, not just servants in their homes, but also postal workers, rubbish
collectors and others. It is a way to care and give thanks for service. Who are
you grateful for, those nameless ones who help you throughout the year? The bagger
at the grocery store, the dry cleaner and his wife, the delivery person who always
makes sure the package that they leave is perfectly hidden from anyone passing
by.
I’ve been thinking about a lot about this day of
generosity that comes right after Christmas. We woke up yesterday and unwrapped
our presents, a symbol of God’s gift of love given to us in the Bethlehem
manger. We celebrated Jesus’ birth with phone calls, good food, and a day of
rest.
Now, what?
The great Christian mystic Howard Thurman writes:
The
Work of Christmas
When the song of
the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and the 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 the nations,
To bring peace among brothers,
To make music in the heart.
The beginning of John’s gospel says:
In the
beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning
with God. All things came into being
through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into
being in him was life,[a] and the life was the light of
all people. The light shines in the darkness, and
the darkness did not overcome it.
This has
been such a difficult year for us all. But here is what is true: Nothing stops
God’s coming into the world. No virus is strong enough, no rage is hot enough,
no depression is deep enough, to keep the light from entering our lives and our
world. That is what we remember. The light shines in the dark and difficult places
of our lives, and it has not overcome it.
Now, you
and I are bearers of this light. It shines bright by how we live. Are we
willing to engage in the work that began at Christmas, that has now been handed
to us to continue through Christ? Are you willing to find the lost, to heal the
broken, To feed the hungry, to
release the prisoner, to rebuild the nations, to bring peace, to make music in
the heart.
We cradle the Christ child when we care
for others. Make no mistake, people are watching us, to see how our lives
reflect this Life Light of Christ. How will you carry forth this light into the
world? How will your actions give off the radiant Christ Light that gives life
to all?
Good King
Wenceslas is a familiar carol
about the benevolent ruler who provided for the needy. The carol speaks of him doing
this on the Feast of St. Stephen, which is celebrated today. Stephen is the
first Christian martyr, known for his care of the poor.
a preacher
from the 12th century wrote this about Wenceslas:
But his deeds I think you know better than I could tell you;
for, as is read in his Passion, no one doubts that, rising every
night from his noble bed, with bare feet and only one chamberlain, he went
around to God's churches and gave alms generously to widows, orphans, those in
prison and afflicted by every difficulty, so much so that he was considered,
not a prince, but the father of all the wretched.
The carol speaks of him and his page coming across a
poor man looking for firewood in a cold harsh winter’s night. Wenceslas tells
his page to get food and drink and firewood so the two of them can bring them
to the poor man’s home, even though it is not close by. The two set off but the
night turns even colder and the page begins to tire from the walk and the cold.
Wenceslas tells him to follow in his footsteps, placing his feet precisely
where Wenceslas placed his. The page felt the warmth left from Wenceslas’ step
and they were able to finish their journey to the poor man’s home.
Wenceslas let
his light shine in the darkness and others found warmth and life from it. And
we are called to do the same.
As the final stanza of the hymn reminds us:
Therefore, Christian
folk, be sure
Wealth or rank possessing,
Ye who now will bless the poor
Shall yourselves find blessing.
As we rise from the
manger, may we offer the Light of Christ to all we encounter through our acts
of generosity, kindness, and justice-making.
