On the Eighth Day of Christmas...

Let me begin by extending a heartfelt Happy New Year to you. The secular calendar alerts us to the new year, another year, and many see it as a fresh start. Beautiful. The sacred calendar alerts us the eighth day of Christmas, also known as Holy Name Day. As Jewish tradition guides us to Luke 2:21, “When the eighth day came, it was time to circumcise the child, and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.”

And so, on the eighth day of Christmas, the mission of Jesus the Christ begins. Before shedding blood on the cross, Jesus shed blood in circumcission, honoring the Abrahamic covenant made fourteen generations earlier... or some 1800 years before his birth. Stunning.

Now, let’s continue with our walk through the subversive poem turned song, The Twelve Days of Christmas. Again, if you need the first seven days, flip a couple pages back and get a refresher. On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me... Eight Maids-a-Milking. In being asked many a times, if someone were new to reading the Bible, where would I suggest they begin. I first respond, “In the beginning, of course.” But I understand reading through the Bible, Genesis through Revelation, is quite the task for many reasons. I have often pivoted to encouraging people to begin with reading Jesus’ seminal Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew chapters 5-7.

And it’s here that we find that the Eight Maids-a-Milking represent what is known as the eight Beatitudes, found at the beginning of Jesus’ sermon. I encourage you to read Matthew 5:1-13, then reflect on the rhythm that moves from the Divine meeting each one of us in our lowest, and loves us unconditionally… to us then meeting all others in their lowest, and extending that same unconditional love. Which takes us back to the idea of maids milking. At the time of the writing of this poem turned song, a maid milking was considered a lowly job, a job that was not given much worth at all. Which is to be a reminder to eahc of us, that all people have worth in the Divine economy. Because the Divine economy is one of love, grace, and generosity… for all people.

Divine Love meets each person as they, but never leaves them there. This Love lifts up and transforms us into who we were always created to be. This Love redeems and restores, and this Love is movemental. It cannot stand still because Divine Love is dynamic, not static. It envelops us, then moves through us to all others.

The eighth day is essentially a new day. Brilliant. May you receive this Love, and may you extend this Love to all people, everywhere.