Merry Christmas

There, I said it. Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas is not meant to diminish whatever else one may believe -- Hannukah, Kwaanza, or whatever others may choose to celebrate. It is not meant to offend. Indeed, Christmas celebrates the birth of a man whose purpose on the Earth was to promote peace, love and understanding. While many of us believe Him to be the Son of God and rejoice in the miracle of His birth, it is not a belief necessary to the overriding message of Christmas. It is the lessons he taught while on Earth that endure. These lessons are universal . . . to love your neighbor, to forgive your enemies, to respect a child, to have compassion for a sinner. Regardless of how you observe this "season", how can it be offensive to anyone to celebrate those lessons?

The garish commercialism of Christmas . . . the focus on the material rather than the spiritual . . . offends me. And yet, I'm as guilty as any of participating in it. But for these few moments at least, I'm focusing on the lessons of the Season -- love, compassion and peace. Regardless of how you pass this "holiday", we here at The Mirror wish you all of these for the Season and for the coming year.