David Carlson
281: When the shepherds are back with their flock, the work of Christmas begins.

Day 281: December 22nd. 2020
When the shepherds are back with their flock, The work of Christmas begins.
In Bethlehem a manger waits
Long ago and so today
Where hatred-weary people pray
Love will come and lay there

And so do countless stables stand
In hearts as harsh as desert lands
Rough shelters in the wind and sand
That love may come and stay there

Love that opens fists of hate
Heaps up gold on beggars’ plates
Love that shows a kindly face
To enemies and strangers
And the walls of stables tremble so
When the winds of fear and judgment blow
For a stable hopes in love alone
And knows that love’s the answer
O Love, the prophet’s only word
The only lesson left to learn
The only end of heaven’s work
And the only road that goes there

Love that sees with mercy’s eyes
Holds its arms out open wide
Threads its loom with separate lives
And weaves them all together

So may the lamps of stables glow
Brightly that their light may go
For miles in the darkness, so
Love will find its way there
From the album, “Midwinter” by Peter Mayer
POEM

“The Work of Christmas” by Howard Thurman
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 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 all,
To make music in the heart.

SONGS
“Stable” from the album Midwinter by Peter Mayer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwMLJ4g4va4
O Holy Night / Ave Maria ft. Lexi Walker - The Piano Guys
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGHUmpUu7Gw
Alison Krauss — "Can't Find My Way Home"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xZxxVlu7BM
