Of Comfort and Joy??

As the Holiday season is upon us, many carols and tunes of the season in general speak of comfort and joy.

As Americans in the United States, we are fortunate that we currently don't have to worry about daily bombings and violent military attacks that separates families and does unspeakable things in the name of defeating terrorism. But, it this holiday season it is easy to look away from such images that are happening in our name at places like Iraq and Afganistan. We want to forget about such atrocities, think that it has nothing to do with us, and take on the "better them than us" attitude.

Is this the spirit of the holiday season? Regardless of your religious affiliation, many of the religious celebrations center around hope and promise, and to share that hope with everyone. It was the eight days of light that a short supply of oil gave hope to the Jewish people. It was the birth of a promise with Salvation for Jews and gentiles so long ago. It is hope that gives our hearts wings to fly.

For many people, they will not see hope and promise this holiday season. There are people too evil that instigate hatred, violence, and completely inhumane acts on their fellow human and see nothing wrong with it. There are soldiers and mercenaries that do not see the value of a human life as they torture and murder. There are rulers rich beyond our imagination that withhold essential life-sustaining assistance and purposefully degrade their people to the point of death.

Don't think that the United States is immune to this type of evil. There are people that behave coarsely to others by their inconsiderate actions by verbal and physcial bullying. There are bosses who deliberately receive millions and millions a year in salary, yet do not pay their employees enough so they can afford health insurance or to heat their homes, or that steal their employees' savings and retirement investments so their company can declare bankruptcy and they come out with millions.

There are people running companies that feel downsizing works to fatten the executives' paychecks, by laying off middle class employees in a stale hiring marketplace and forcing them on the streets, and forcing the rest of their employees to work faster, longer, and harder to accomplish their work and then some due to the lack of workers to finish the job right with less pay. I could go on and on with racial and appearance prejudice, clash of the working classes, and ignorance and negligence, especially with our young who yearn to have the attention of their parents who are too busy working to give them the time of day, let alone the love they long for.

This holiday season, please pray for those people who do not receive glad tidings of comfort and joy, that what they do not find in humankind, they will find with God (G-d, Allah). Pray for us, and all who represent us, that we may show glad tidings of comfort and joy to all we meet this holiday season and beyond. Meditate on those who don't see the hope and promise of the season, and how each of us can help to bring hope and promise to all.

As a Christian, we are convicted to show God's love and kindness to all. When we fail, we not only sin, we are stripping hope and promise to those we have shown less than what God wants us do for others. In essence, when we ignore our call to show God's love, we are against the life God wants for us. We are no longer pro-life. We have turned our backs to God and wallow in the cold darkness of lovelessness.

You never know who you will meet again in your time of need. Those that you show either love, indifference or even hate, may just one day hold the key to your comfort and joy with the ability to allow or deny you that comfort and joy.

This season, when you meet someone on the street, or are among family, friends or even foes, smile and bestow upon them glad tidings of comfort and joy. Happy Holidays to all!