Finishing Christmas Well!

It’s not how you start but how you finish that matters

, --December 23, 2024

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It’s not always how you start, but how you finish that people remember. A good example of this is found in a famous American Football game. In Super Bowl 51 (Known by the Roman numerals LI), the Atlanta Falcons got out to a seemingly insurmountable lead over the New England Patriots and their legendary quarterback Tom Brady, 28-3. With a stout defense, many fans were calling the contest over and declaring Atlanta the winner. But they underestimated the resolve of the Patriots and Tom Brady. You probably know how the story ends. It’s not how you start but how you finish that matters.

Hark How All the Welkin Rings

A unique example of this same principle is found in the story of a famous Christmas hymn. When originally composed by Charles Wesley, the poem was entitled, “Hark How All the Welkin Rings,” with the word “welkin” being an old English term for the sky or heavens (Hymncharts Team, 2022). The poem was matched with a somber tune and 10 stanzas – not very exciting! The carol was one of some 6,000 hymns that Charles Wesley would write in his illustrious career (Longanecker, 2016).

More than a decade later, it was George Whitefield, the famous preacher, who made some tweaks to the first line of the hymn, to the great dismay of the Wesley brothers (Hymncharts Team, 2022). While Wesley‘s original intent was to focus on the heavens giving praise to God, as in Psalm 19:1 (“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork”); Whitefield rewrote the hymn with a vision of humanity joining in the angelic prayer. This aligns with the picture of the shepherds on the hillside, who heard the angelic voices and then rushed toward the manger scene and gave glory to God themselves (Luke 2:8-18).

It would take another 100 years for this tune to become the familiar chorus that we sing today. It took an insightful musician named William Hayman Cummings to combine the adapted Wesley lyrics with Felix Mendelssohn’s score written some 100 years after the Wesley poem (Hymncharts Team, 2022). Cummings saw how the two unique works of art could blend together – a secular composition and a sacred text – contrary to the intentions of the original authors (Hymncharts Team, 2022). And the rest, as they say, is history. It’s not how you start but how you finish that matters.

Whitefield’s changing of the hymn’s original lines matched the message of the angels when they appeared to the shepherds (Luke 2:13-14). Luke gives us the angel’s message, that men are now at peace with God: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased” (Luke 2:14 ESV). We wonder if there was a time when we weren’t at peace with God – aren’t we always in good with God? Didn’t the Doobie Brothers tell us that “Jesus is just alright with me?” (Jones, 2021). The letter to the Ephesians tells us that we were enemies of God (see also Romans 5:10), dead in our sins, children of wrath (Ephesians 2:1-3). So this peace that came was the reconciliation of a relationship that had been broken by sin. Our sin separates us from God. We see in Psalm 40 that a humble King David recognized his sin and his great need for God, and he earnestly sought to be reconciled with God (Psalm 40:11-13). For David, reconciliation was vital and life-giving.

A wealthy man named Philemon participated in the work of the gospel and became a friend of the Apostle Paul. Onesimus had been Philemon’s slave. It appears from a letter written by Paul to his friend that Onesimus had stolen from Philemon and then run away. Paul and Onesimus connected while Paul was in prison in Rome. It was there that Onesimus converted to Christianity and stayed to support Paul while he was in prison. Paul knew it was important to bring about the reconciliation of the relationship between Philemon and Onesimus. In his letter to Philemon, Paul acknowledges the harm caused by Onesimus’ theft and desertion. 


In order to make it right, Paul offers to pay restitution to Philemon, and invites Philemon to receive Onesimus back as he would Paul. Although there are no specific steps given to us on this approach, the evidence of Paul seeking to encourage reconciliation should be a model to those of us who believe in what God Almighty has done for us by sending His Son Jesus to die for us – “God and sinners reconciled.” It’s not how you start, but how you finish that matters.

Reconciliation of relationships is an enormous challenge. Divorce statistics suggests that the most common factors contributing to a breakdown in a marriage found in a survey of divorcing couples (Hawkins, 2012) were “growing apart” (55%) and “not able to talk together” (53%). The most interesting data point found in the study regarding possible reconciliation of the couples was that in 75% of couples, at least one spouse regretted having divorced within one year after the event (Hawkins, 2012). Living with the guilt and regret of such an act can be devastating, not only to the individuals involved, but also to children, who are adversely affected for years afterwards (Hawkins, 2012). It seems that only 13% of couples were able to reconcile (Hawkins, 2012). Forgiving a person who has hurt you can help foster healing; while reconciliation requires effort from both sides (Hayden, 2024).

And God has taken the first step in our reconciliation to Him. The gospel writer Matthew reflected on the coming of this “newborn King” as Wesley called Him. Matthew quoted the prophet Isaiah, who prophesized that “the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and shall call His name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). Matthew in his rendering would explain that “Immanuel” means “God with us” (Matthew 1:23).

The call to tell others that God has come to dwell among us – better yet, to dwell within us!

This is truly the greatest miracle of the Christmas holiday The holy God would look past our sinful state as “children of wrath” (Ephesians 2:3) and send a lifeline of reconciliation down from heaven’s glory to live among us. This Gift of Reconciliation would die for our sins in our place, to demonstrate God‘s commitment to reconciling this relationship of a Father to His children.

And this is the ministry He has given to us, as the Apostle Paul writes in several places in the New Testament (Colossians 1:19-23; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21). We are tasked to take this Message of Reconciliation to all those selfish human beings to whom He gave life, and who in many cases simply forgot about Him. God wants to reconcile us to Himself; and us to each other. Santa Claus cannot do that for us; neither can Frosty or Rudolph.

That is really the message of Christmas, as Wesley and Whitefield wrote. The call to tell others that God has come to dwell among us – better yet, to dwell within us! This ministry of reconciliation drove the Apostle Paul to the ends of the known world, sharing the message proclaimed by the angels on that Christmas evening: “We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20b).


Please hear the harkening of the angelic chorus! 

Please hear the harkening of the angelic chorus! “God and sinners reconciled!” There’s no need to live with the guilt and self-regret of being separated from God any longer. God has taken the first step, so reach out to him this Christmas; and then reach out to others with whom you have been separated. Believe me, I know about estranged relationships. It may be that you need to eat a big piece of humble pie before your Christmas dinner, but it’s at least worth a phone call or an email to model what God has done by taking the first step. Let this Christmas mark a significant transformation in the life of your family and your loved ones. Because it’s not how you start, but how you finish that matters!

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Joseph J. Bucci——

Joseph J. Bucci has served as a Pastor, Author, HR Director, Director of Training, Professor and Consultant. He teaches in the College of Arts and Sciences at Regent University in Virginia Beach. He has written two books and numerous articles on the theme of integrating faith with life and our work. You can contact Dr. Bucci at: Joseph J Bucci