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Our holiday letter will be going out in the mail soon, but since many of my readers here are not on our mailing list, I'm continuing my tradition of sharing our seasonal thoughts here as well.
Another year draws to a close, and as we prepare to celebrate the holidays, we find ourselves surrounded by the many and varied images of the season. Among the many enduring images of Christmas is the appearance of the angels to proclaim “Peace on Earth”. We often hear Christmas referred to as a time of joy and happiness, yet according to the angels, this is meant to be a time of peace. But what does this mean?
Clearly, the Christmas message hasn’t brought an end to violence and conflict in the world. We only need to watch the news or read a newspaper to feel overwhelmed by the evident lack of peace in the world today. Even in our own lives, we often find conflict with those around us, even those closest to us, those we love.
So how, then, are we to understand the angelic proclamation? With so much conflict around us, what difference can we make? While the contribution of any individual to the cause of peace might seem to be insignificant, the cumulative impact if all of us were to strive diligently for peace might just change the world. If we are mindful and choose forgiveness over anger and kindness over impatience in our daily lives, we can begin to reduce conflict one interaction at a time. It doesn’t require mighty gestures or grand actions.
Some of us must struggle to stay focused on choosing peace. Others come by these traits more naturally. Becky was one of those who instinctively chose to reach out to others with kindness. She routinely went out of her way to help others, to show kindness, and share love. She provided us with an example of how each of us can help make the message of the angels a reality in our lives. If we each were to be as open to each other as she was, the world would be much closer to embodying the peace proclaimed by the angels.
As we celebrate the holidays with our friends and family, we hope that everyone of us finds ways to spread some peace on earth and goodwill among men. May you each have a very Merry Christmas, and a bountiful New Year.
PS - This letter was written before the tragic events of Dec. 14 in Newtown, CT. Our heart go out to the families as they now face a holiday season overshadowed by the pain of their grief. There are no words that will fill the gaping hole they now have in their families. We hope that their tragedy can spur us all to work to ensure that such tragic violence never happens ever again. That would be the most fitting memorial to the innocent lives that were cut short last week.
Another year draws to a close, and as we prepare to celebrate the holidays, we find ourselves surrounded by the many and varied images of the season. Among the many enduring images of Christmas is the appearance of the angels to proclaim “Peace on Earth”. We often hear Christmas referred to as a time of joy and happiness, yet according to the angels, this is meant to be a time of peace. But what does this mean?
Clearly, the Christmas message hasn’t brought an end to violence and conflict in the world. We only need to watch the news or read a newspaper to feel overwhelmed by the evident lack of peace in the world today. Even in our own lives, we often find conflict with those around us, even those closest to us, those we love.
So how, then, are we to understand the angelic proclamation? With so much conflict around us, what difference can we make? While the contribution of any individual to the cause of peace might seem to be insignificant, the cumulative impact if all of us were to strive diligently for peace might just change the world. If we are mindful and choose forgiveness over anger and kindness over impatience in our daily lives, we can begin to reduce conflict one interaction at a time. It doesn’t require mighty gestures or grand actions.
Some of us must struggle to stay focused on choosing peace. Others come by these traits more naturally. Becky was one of those who instinctively chose to reach out to others with kindness. She routinely went out of her way to help others, to show kindness, and share love. She provided us with an example of how each of us can help make the message of the angels a reality in our lives. If we each were to be as open to each other as she was, the world would be much closer to embodying the peace proclaimed by the angels.
As we celebrate the holidays with our friends and family, we hope that everyone of us finds ways to spread some peace on earth and goodwill among men. May you each have a very Merry Christmas, and a bountiful New Year.
PS - This letter was written before the tragic events of Dec. 14 in Newtown, CT. Our heart go out to the families as they now face a holiday season overshadowed by the pain of their grief. There are no words that will fill the gaping hole they now have in their families. We hope that their tragedy can spur us all to work to ensure that such tragic violence never happens ever again. That would be the most fitting memorial to the innocent lives that were cut short last week.
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Date: 2012-12-19 01:05 pm (UTC)This prayer from the remarkable Mattie Stepanek speaks to me this season. For more about this wise-beyond-his-years young man and his legacy, visit The Mattie Stepanek webpage.
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Date: 2012-12-24 09:47 am (UTC)