Living with Hope
Welcome to Christmas…which of course means many different things to many different people. Obviously, for Christians this is the time to celebrate the birth of the Christ child. For others, it means decorated trees and presents, a jolly old elf in a red suit, and these days, a never-ending stream of Hallmark movies. I could do without those, but regardless…it is a time typically filled with joy—well, after the stress of getting ready for it all has passed.
That was all in sharp contrast with the tone from the president, speaking from a podium in the White House a mere four days before Christmas, sounding more like the Grinch than anything else. Obviously in comparison with the joys of the season, a downer of a message like the continued threat posed by COVID would seem pretty bad…but this seemed even worse, a doubling down on coercion, threats, and predictions of doom and death.
But that was there…not in the vast majority of the country. Even those who do not mark the religious aspect of Christmas are typically raised up by the sense of hope and possibility all around. It can be infectious, at a higher level than the omicron variant. And it is that sense of optimism that will not only guide us during this difficult time of conflict, but will propel us forward to even greater things very soon.
That is, if we let it. We do tend to harden ourselves against outside ills, which is fine for protection from harm but it also means we don’t necessarily allow good to break through the barrier.
So regardless if you celebrate the birth of the baby Jesus…the arrival of Santa…or both…allow yourself to enjoy the feeling of wonder, of hope, and of possibility…and carry that with you into a new year soon to begin. Merry Christmas.
