I think it's so neat how there are all these holidays and diverse customs this time of year. It truly is a holiday season. Peace and goodwill toward men -- those aren't just words. To truly feel the words and show sincerity in them, you have to mean that you want world peace. No bombing. No boots on the ground, no hating the enemy and blessing the weapons that will kill them. It means peace from border to border, nation to nation, surpassing oceans and deserts, seeing everyone in the world as your neighbor who might need your help.
That leads right into good will toward men. It means you show love and respect to other men and women, no matter what their religion, country of origin or holiday customs are. It means you value the person in prison, the homeless person, the troubled soul addicted to meth.
My faith tells me this is what keeping Christ in Christmas really is. Funny, I bought some old raggedy, paperback book about the Sermon on the Mount for 25 cents at a thrift store today. Maria might get mad at me, dragging another book home, but oh well. I want to read the author's analysis of the greatest, most famous sermon in history. There are books in my bookcase as well as my children's bookcase. Books scattered around the kitchen table and the bathroom. I think it's a pretty good way to live.
