Thoughts For The Season

Christmas is upon the world, and marks it's presence with busy people in the Church's of our age - the shopping malls, and stores. A few people will remember what Christmas is supposed to be about, and that will have to suffice.

As the National Day of Mourning is the inversion of U.S. Thanksgiving, so it would seem that Christmas has become the inversion of Christmas. Maybe. It's an odd mix, and I'm an observer - and have been for 3 decades.

So wishing someone 'Merry Christmas' means a lot of different things on a lot of different levels. I'm a Buddhist, and though we have our own Buddhist Holidays, there doesn't seem to be a problem with Buddhists celebrating the holidays of others. But it's not always that easy.

So when I say 'Merry Christmas', what I mean is that I wish everyone a bit of peace and happiness in this troubled world as they celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Sure, he may not have been born on the exact date on which it is celebrated - I don't know, and I don't think it's too important.

I think it's pretty important to remember the people who wandered around the world and said very similar things - basically, be nice to other people. That includes every faith that I know of on the planet, with the exception of the people who find solace in evil (a contradiction, I think).

So, Merry Christmas. :-) Interesting optical illusion here.