Traditionally, Christmas festivities continued from Christmas Day until the “Twelfth Night”, the evening of January 5th. Practically, these days it seems that the corporate world follows this pattern – most of the clients with whom I work operated in a “festive” rather than “operating” mode for about two weeks over the holidays.
As we return to our normal pace, I was struck by the following meditation penned by the great African-Amercian theologian and mystic, Howard Thurman. Perhaps this might be a worthy mantra for us all as we lead our organizations into 2007.
The Work of Christmas Begins
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 flocks,
Then 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 people
To make music in the heart.
