The message is simple and powerful, yet often ignored: “A new commandment I give to you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so also you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”
Those are the words of Jesus, according to John 13:34, and they can provide guidance for all people today as we celebrate Christmas.
For Christians, who believe Christ was sent as the savior of the world, the celebration of his birth is a day of profound meaning. But even for nonbelievers, the messages that have been attributed to Jesus can be worth heeding. For if we love one another and act in accordance with that love, all of humanity will benefit.
That is the power that underlies our recognition of Christmas. Most Americans celebrate the holiday in one fashion or another, and the message of the season is one that can and should linger throughout the year. Amid all the excitement and stress about gifts and meals and family gatherings, the center of the occasion remains a message of hope, of joy, of peace — a belief that the better angels of our nature will prevail over our darker instincts.
In an age that seems especially marked by strife and discord, an age in which we are all too quick to willingly divide ourselves along religious or political or cultural lines, Christmas reminds us of our shared humanity. It is demonstrated by countless acts of generosity within our community and beyond, and by calls for “Peace on Earth.”
Such peace often appears unattainable, and yet it must remain the goal if humans are to survive and thrive and reach our potential as a species. It is the striving for the impossible and the unbelievable that breaks down barriers and allows us to truly love one another as Jesus implored two millennia ago. Because of that, Christmas is not about tinsel or sleigh bells or presents or feasts. It is about the giving of ourselves and the sharing of joy.
As editorial writer Pharcellus Church of The New York Sun famously wrote in Sept. 21, 1897: “The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are seen and unseeable in the world.”
Church was responding to a letter from an 8-year-old reader asking whether there is a Santa Claus — a fairly narrow question. Yet the wonderment expressed in his answer should linger and sustain us throughout the year rather than being restricted to the days around Christmas. Perhaps by embracing the joy of the season, we all can help change ourselves — and the world — for the better.
That might seem particularly difficult in the modern age, as we are bombarded with examples of inhumanity and distressing news about the world around us. And yet there is hope to be found in the meaning of Christmas. There is hope in the ideals that are expressed and are preeminent at this time of year. By retaining faith in our fellow humans and a belief in each other’s basic decency, we can, indeed, learn to love one another.
That is the hope as we celebrate Christmas today. That long after we open the gifts and share a feast and make memories with family and friends, we can remember the guidance that was provided so long ago and yet remains relevant today.
Merry Christmas to all.
