At this time of year I sit down to
write my Christmas letter to distant relatives, friends, and former neighbors
that I don’t get to see much anymore. When I drafted this year’s letter, I had
to tear it up, because I couldn’t send out a letter that was mainly full of
good news. Not when 2017 has been a year of disasters affecting so many people.
Not when a letter from my wife’s cousin Ronald in Puerto Rico detailed the
horrors inflicted on his family by Hurricane Maria. Not when images of
fire-ravaged California fill our TV screens every day.
We all strive for happiness in our
lives. We naturally feel blessed when we are free of pain, of debt, of sorrow.
But even the most fortunate cannot be blind to the tragedies suffered by victims
of natural disasters, crippling diseases, senseless killings, and human-inflicted
cruelties. The holidays should be a time to enjoy the loving bonds of family,
to share with the less fortunate, and to give thanks for all our blessings. But
we should also be mindful that we are part of a universal family; that we join
hands with allies against those who would do us harm; that we deplore depravity
and corruption wherever it exists; that suffering and death near and far affect
us all. If it is in our nature to love those close to us, the Christmas spirit
must also extend to our entire human family.
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