Let It Begin And Continue With Us

Rev. Richard Smith

We sang in worship this morning (December 19) the familiar song, Let There Be Peace On Earth.  This inspiring song was written in 1956 and has over the decades become a favorite of so many.  The opening words are:  Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.
As we sang this hymn, I was moved anew by the phrase, “let it begin with me.”  It appears three times and culminates with these additional empowering words, “let this be the moment now.”
As we celebrate Christmas 2021, we each can recommit to let the spirit of this holy season begin with us; letting the person and message of Jesus dwell within us and flow from us.

Let acts of love begin with each of us so that encounter by encounter seeds of love are planted in individual lives and in our communities.
Let hearts of inclusion compel each of us to embrace those different from us, who really do need empathy and caring from others.
 Let spirits of compassion blossom in these moments now and then diligently continue so that beyond Christmas we are examples for others of deep compassion.
Let mindsets of peace pervade our positions and our actions so that those who interface with us feel bridges rather than walls.

I think most of you know the name Erma Bombeck.  She was a well-known columnist and humorist prior to her death in 1996.  She could write some really, really funny things.  But Bombeck could also write some penetrating, thoughtful things.  On Christmas 1990 she wrote:
 I try to get a handle on what this day is all about…but it’s a fantasy that I know will end at midnight.  Then Christmas will shed its cloak of magic and turn to reality.  People who brought toys to children will no longer care.  People who fed the poor will disappear.  Carolers to the aged will fade from sight.  Stories of caring and sharing will vanish.  Bells will stop ringing.  Lights will no longer shimmer as a beacon of hope and we will go back to things as they were.

Wow, what a downer!  And yet, few of us would question that Bombeck at least to some degree is right.  We easily get swept up in the joy of this special season, in the idea of gift giving, in the delight of singing carols, and even in the special worship celebrations.  Then life returns to its 24-7 realities and the best of us can inadvertently slip to focus on ourselves far more than the needs of others.

We all know that our communities are filled with increasing needs for those with less resources and deeper challenges.  Thankfully, through local churches, community agencies, and volunteer efforts much good can be done!!  So, as we celebrate Jesus, may we begin anew to be his loving, caring, and self-giving vessels in a hurting world.