Having the Right Outlook in the Year 2023

As the holidays are winding to a close, for some people the end of this joyous and busy season can feel like a letdown. But for others, this is a time to look ahead and embrace the lessons that can be taken from this season with us into the New Year.

For the millions of Christians in our nation who have just celebrated the birth of the most famous poor baby in history, the end of the holiday season and the beginning of 2023 should be a new chance to rededicate ourselves to welcoming and caring for the poor children in our midst today. A few weeks ago I shared some of beloved theologian Howard Thurman’s meditations from his book The Mood of Christmas. Thurman speaks to this moment too in “The Work of Christmas”:

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.

Let’s embrace this work with joyful hearts and hands as we enter the New Year.

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