Christmas of Hope

Gifts, parties, spending money, vacations, food and fun. For many that is what Christmas is about. 

Not so, says some.  That is so materialistic and hedonistic.  Christmas is more about joy,  happiness, peace and family.  

But looking around, it is not that easy to be joyful. Wars are continuing, and in fact seems to be getting worse. The rich are continuing to exploit the poor, rather than helping them.  The powerful continuing to oppress the weak, instead of upholding justice.  The “leaders” in government, church and elsewhere continue to suppress dissent.   People prefer to believe fake news that suit their prejudice rather than facts that challenge that prejudice.   

In the face of pervasive selfishness, self-righteousness, ugliness, hypocrisy, and hatred, it is hard to be joyful.   Many places particularly traumatised by war and conflicts have chosen to not celebrate Christmas.  It just seems inappropriate under such circumstances.  How can one celebrate when so many are suffering so much?  

Perhaps hoping against hope is what remains.  The defiance against overwhelming, depressing reality.  Holding onto what little hope that remains, that things will turn better. Perhaps that is why people do not give up, even when they have lost so much: family, friends, land, possessions, jobs, the right to speak the mind.  That people continue to come together to share what little they have.  To insist to be kind to each other when they cannot really afford to.  Coming together seems to help us retain that little hope.  

Perhaps that is what Christmas is really about.  The birth of Jesus brings hope in an equally depressing world 2,000 years ago. It seemed a very little thing then, but it brought  great changes.  The birth of hope in darkness, hope in suffering.  With hope, life is just a little less depressing, with hope for a better future.