To me, Christmas is marked by a feeling of innocence and holy purpose. A babe was born in a manger to a family that had been prepared for His arrival. The story represents a mightiness in innocence entirely unconcerned by their lowly and vulnerable circumstance in Bethlehem.
He taught a mathematically-provable doctrine–the one that can most quickly bring peace and harmony into any system of independent agents. The doctrine is simply: 1) to love God (the essence of humility), and 2) to love one’s neighbor (the essence of joy).
For this, we sing, “Joy to the World. The Lord is come.”
Faith in Christ leads to the assurance that, since Christ died for our sins, we can rely on that information to be born again into a personal relationship with Him.
His life set the example of generosity, love, and mercy towards friends and towards foes no matter the justice of the situation. He asked us to do what would most quickly heal the world–the truly challenging injunction to “turn the other cheek.” (Matthew 5:38-39)
It is to make sacrifices discreetly when there is no immediate reward other than the quiet elation of having done good well.
Christmas reminds me that no one person, group of people, race, or religion has a monopoly on truth. Like the light from the star in the sky that first Christmas, so His truth shines down on all the land and is present wherever acts of love, peacemaking, and respect are found in hearts and minds.
All major religions and belief systems carry their own truths that align with these gentle principles of innocence and love. I am grateful for every system that leads to a Christmas-like spirit wherever it may be.
Where Christ’s name has been used to support anything to the contrary (sometimes even atrocities), we can see how wrong that is and how far it departs from His message of peace. The actions of others need not disconnect our own minds from Him that has “healing in His wings.” (Malachi 4:2)
“He is utterly incomparable in what He *is*, what He *knows*, what He has *accomplished*, and what He has *experienced*. Yet, movingly, He calls us His friends,” as Neal A. Maxwell wrote in “O, Divine Redeemer.”
Merry Christmas from my family to yours this holiday season!
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