“Every day is a holiday when you’re alive.”
-Ukranian mother, NBC News, Nov. 26, 2022
December is a delightful time of year, with “Happy Holidays” being a familiar greeting. Who but Ebenezer Scrooge – prior to his enlightening transformation – can deny the feeling of nostalgia, the inspiration of the music, the magic of lights and decorations, the excitement of celebrations with family and friends, as well as the glee of children (and adults) anticipating gifts, treats, and optimism for a new beginning in the coming year.
It’s a delightful time of the year, but the holiday celebration itself is not the most significant point of the season.
For Christians, the birth of the Christ Child signals a renewed aspiration for people who acknowledge God’s love and grace – to better reflect Christ’s forgiveness, compassion, and love through our action in the world.
Hope in despair. Light in the darkness.
Pulitzer Prize winning author Jon Meacham, writes:
People of faith are called – again and again and again – to return to the foot of the cross. It is a terrible place to stand. But that is where the story Christians profess begins. It is a story about love, not loathing; generosity, not greed. In our time, the will to power has all too often overwhelmed the words of Jesus – and that is why we must hear and heed those words anew.”
[The New York Times, March 8, 2020]