This Is Christmas – Howard Thurman
I have been thinking a lot about Christmas
Even in the midst of the Advent Pilgrimage
It is so easy to get caught up in the hype
It is so easy to lose your way
It can be difficult when you don’t feel particularly joyful
It isn’t easy when you are mourning
Yet I am reminded once again as I journey with Howard Thurman
What is Christmas? Howard Thurman shares these words
This Is Christmas
The evergreen singing aloud its poem of constant renewal,
The festive mood spreading lilting magic everywhere,
The gifts of recollection calling to heart the graces of life,
The star in the sky calling to mind the wisdom of hope,
The warmth of candlelight glowing against the darkness,
The birth of a child linking past to future,
The symbol of love absorbing all violence.
THIS IS CHRISTMAS.
As I continue to read Thurman’s book, The Mood of Christmas & Other Celebrations, I feel the Spirit’s nudging to look at the season differently.
His closing words describing Christmas continue to resonate in my soul. The symbol of love absorbing all violence.
To quote John Lennon, “So this is Christmas…”
May it be so, loving God, may it be so…
