Redeeming the time after Christmas

In today's religion column for the Tribune & Georgian I wrote in part,

The Christmas rush is over. Soon houses, now filled with the pine scent of Christmas trees and the lights and garlands and wreaths that set this time aside as special, will seem bare. Wintry depression can come to take root if we don’t take care.

The poet W.H. Auden captured the after Christmas feeling very well. Toward the close of his long poem, “For the Time Being,” he wrote, “Well, so that is that. Now we must dismantle the tree, Putting the decorations back into their cardboard boxes—Some have got broken—and carrying them up to the attic. The holly and the mistletoe must be taken down and burnt, And the children got ready for school.

“There are enough Leftovers to do, warmed up, for the rest of the week—Not that we have much appetite, having drunk such a lot, Stayed up so late, attempted—quite unsuccessfully—To love all of our relatives, and in general Grossly overestimated our powers.”

The full text of the column is here: Redeeming the time after Christmas.

Extra points go to those who realize that this is an old sermon reworked as a religion column. Cheesy, I know. Having submitted the column in the midst of seven church services in five days, it also seemed smart not to grossly overestimate my powers by trying to crank out something wholely new while being more than adequately busy. But more than that, Auden's poem is so wise and works well for this time of year. Have we once more seen the vision and failed to "do more than entertain it as an agreeable Possibility?"

peace,
Frank+
The Rev. Frank Logue, Pastor