Christmas. As an author, I’m thinking I should be promoting the heck out of my books. I did that but then I thought beyond my purely monetary desires. I considered this year’s marking of the birth that was to bring us hope. Our hope has suffered severe challenges of late and while we go through the motions buying gifts and decking the halls, we feel uncertain.
I compare this year’s Christmas with my latest Rita Mars work. The title is apt: The Book of Revelation. In this book of the Bible, terrifying events are prophesied. The author spins a devastating tale of destruction. Many who read this scary forecast for the future, take it as a warning of a world that definitely does not end in a whimper. Though the scenarios are dire, the Bible’s Revelation threads a promise and a hope. And we, in this country, need to remember that is the real message.
Today as you read this, consider that, compared to many, our lives are sustainable. This is a time to consider others who don’t have the same safety nets, who are hunted for no other reason than their skin color. The cavalry is not coming. The best of this situation is that we have each other. I hope for and envision a time we can take a breath without the constraints of fear and hate. I do believe that only by our gratitude for what we have and sharing with those who have less, we give substance to a steadfastness that carries us through dark times.
So what is my point in this Christmas message? I am asking you to take your “thing” money and share it with the families whose struggle is daily and lately made even more difficult by people whose only desire is acquisition. We can rail against that personal perspective, but if help is to come, it will come only from us.
I take this season of hope as a time for reflection of the people who mentored me, who taught me the principles I now hold about integrity and compassion, who were living examples of the tenets they shared. No one gets anywhere without the help of others. It is our turn to help as we have been.
There are a lot of hungry people across this country today in a land of plenty. There are a lot of terrified people here in the home of the brave. If we stand together – if we share our strength and bread – we will pass through the darkness. I think of that quote often attributed to Churchill “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” We, the people, are an undeniable power when we march together.
So – send funds to a local group or a national charity, put $5 in a Salvation Army pot, contribute to a food bank. Find your way to join in solidarity. It means everything to the recipients; it means strength and resolve for ourselves.
Christmas wishes from me and Rita Mars.