They shall beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation;
they shall study war no more.
—Isaiah 2.4
* * *
All I want for Christmas is peace on earth. And if that’s too much to ask, I’ll settle for peace in the Middle East.
Tomorrow is Christmas. Tonight churches will be full. The faithful will come to adore the Christ child. (Skeptics and atheists will get over themselves.) Choirs will sing. Bells will ring. Lessons will be read.
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who lived in a land of deep darkness—
on them light has shined.
Candles will be lit from hand to hand along the pews. Light will shine in the darkness. “Silent Night” will be sung.
But tonight it’s gonna be hard to sing “all is calm” when bombs are falling round mother and child in Gaza.
Sing anyway.
Let your tears fall. The holy child of Bethlehem weeps with you. Heavenly hosts weep with you too.
Tonight there’s a child bathed in goodness and light and another bathed in hatred and bitterness plotting death and destruction for its mortal enemy.
There will be blood.
There will be retribution.
There will be no peace.
Not yet. Not tomorrow.
But don’t give up. Keep hope alive.
For all the boots of the tramping warriors
and all the garments rolled in blood
shall be burned as fuel for the fire.
Jesus was born under Roman occupation in Bethlehem in what we now call the West Bank. Jesus stood for peace, love, and justice. He stood with the oppressed. He was an avatar of love. The Romans crucified him.
As it turns out, you can kill the messenger, but you can’t kill the message. And that message resounds through all times, on every mountaintop, and in every heart.
Love is the way, the truth, and the life. Love is the way to peace.
Many people see the birth of Jesus as historical. Particular. I once did too. But now I see it as mythical. Universal. Which is to say: Christmas is not just about the birth of the messiah in Bethlehem. It’s about the birth of the messiah in us.
O holy child of Bethlehem, be born in us today.
You are the song the angels sing.
You are the light that shines in darkness.
Amen 🙏🏼🙏🏾❤️
We all have the Christ within, or Buddha nature. Fear and anger hide it, but the Christ is there within each of us, as it is in the world. There is always hope, and the more we affirm it, the more it will come to be.
Thank you! Beautifully said. Let us all ‘Tend the Love’ daily…
Merry Christmas!
Christmas is not about decorations, but compassion—not tinsel on a tree, but love in your heart, especially for the oppressed and marginalized. What counts is not the sentimental baby in a stable, but the grown-up work of justice and peace. Despite the darkness of war, may the Universal Light within all of us shine in hope in this season and every season!
Amen.
Best one ever. May ALL TAKE IT TO HEART ❤️
Thank you for your wise words, the point of this sacred season, and the point of the continuation of life and lite in the face of so much darkness… faith, hope & love…let your lite shine – giving hope to all who doubt & fear…🎶love is the answer🎶
The Work of Christmas
To find the lost
To heal the broken
To feed the hungry
To release the prisoner
To rebuild the nations
To bring peace among others
To make music in the heart
Howard Thurman
Thank you for your beautiful and powerful inspiration.
You, my friend, are a wise & wonderful shepherd. Peace is the fruit of love. Christmas reminds us of the innocence of love, the love as simple as a child born in a stable. I’m so grateful that you share your bigass heart and soul deep as the ocean with all of us.
May all be fed
May all be healed
May all be loved
John Robbins, the author’s prayer
Kinda sums it up.
Thank you.
Merry Christmas
Okie dokie!
Okey-dokey to what? I’m not sure what you’re referencing here. But it sure is laconic.
Beautiful thoughts. It’s true there is a God and he is good. We must ask him to bring hope and peace to everyone. Diversity and sharing our love with everyone is the only way.
Amen!
Beautifully written reflection of hope and tragedy.
I like “you can kill the messenger but not the message.”. I see why you were uncertain about “Okie dokie.”. I’m uncertain about why I was so light hearted in tone in response to your message. So please indulge me a second chance. Hope I think is vital as you say, but hope as I think we agree must encourage action, work and sacrifice to change what is destructive. Each of us. Im not sure I actually invest enough effort to make hope really count since I retired.