The Belief Season

The last candle on the Menorah signifying the end of Hanukkah, the Jewish eight day “festival of lights,” has been lit. This celebrates the miracle of oil that burned for eight days during the rededication of the Jerusalem Temple. Jewish families have prayed, served special holiday foods, sung songs, played games, and given gifts to one another.

The Hanukkah festivities were observed in spite of the heinous antisemitic Hamas supporting protests that resonated throughout the country’s major cities. Truly a disgusting display that defies the principles upon which the United States was founded.

Now the Nation moves onto the Christmas holiday. December 25 became a federal holiday in 1870 when President Ulysses S. Grant signed an order so Americans had a day to reflect and rest while celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.  It was a unifying day for families and friends in a largely Christian Nation to remember His legacy.  Even non-believers got together and enjoyed the day.

Fast forward 150 plus years and the progressive wokesters in the corporate media continue to drive a secular narrative that ignores the real reason we celebrate the birth of a baby in Bethlehem. Their non-stop, at times hostile commentary about Christians obscures the real reasons Christmas is observed.

It is to honor the man, Jesus of Nazareth, an observant Jew who lived more than 2,000 years ago in a country know as Galilee. He brought the world Christianity. His articulated philosophy was very simple, based on two core principles, love God and love your fellow man as you would love yourself.  Those two tenets made Christianity the most powerful movement in history.

Over the two thousand years since His birth, there have been distortions of His teachings by any number of rascals and charlatans. That is not exactly unexpected as most believers have come to know that their fellow man is not perfect.  The Nazarene, Jesus, wouldn’t have it had it any other way. Jesus practiced unconditional love of mankind.

We have a world where this type of kindness and consideration is sorely missed.  One needs to look no further than the daily news of hate and vitriol so prevalent in our increasingly secular society. Folks, this time of year seem focused on shopping rather than recognizing the “reason for the season” as the saying goes. 

If this planet were populated by people who practiced the teachings of Jesus, the Nation and the world be a whole be lot more peaceful and a better place to live.

Merry Christmas