Topic: Christmas
If you think Washington is in chaos now, the movie Lincoln may help put things into perspective! What I took away, certain that I will never forget, was the stress and violent discord that was going on in Washington, far away from the battlegrounds! It seemed that, at any moment, the elected officials might break forth with an actual war in the capitol!!
As I think on Christmases past, compared to Christmas today, I am reminded that there wasn't peace, joy, and abounding love on the first Christmas either. The hate, oppression, manipulation, patriarchy, and evil was of epic proportions. The baby Jesus, as a Jew, was one of the hated! He was also a light shining in the darkness, while not eradicating the darkness.
Cynics say Jesus changed nothing. Idealists see the light getting stronger and speak of a time when all will be peace, love, and joy. Pessimists see the world getting worse and worse. Whereas realists are likely to focus on the mixed conditions of our world, our nation, our families, and each of us.
Christmas is a time for each of us to center, once again, on the inward peace, love, and joy that can be found in each of our hearts through the application of principles of good spiritual and mental health. That is all we have control over. That is, in fact, our only hope.
Let us return to the things of old as all things become new!
