Each time that Christmas shifts to the church season of Epiphany, I think about the African American mystic Howard Thurman, whose meditation for this season serves as a kickoff of sorts into the new year. It’s a helpful reminder that Christmas is more than a cute feel-good story, but a transformative call to seek justice and joy.

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,
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.

Source: Howard Thurman. Found online here.