Christmas is a season of joy and of love, as well as a time for reflection. As Christmas approaches, I find myself reflecting on the many simple blessings of the past year. The Christmas season is supposed to be a time of hope and a time to cherish the peace and joy that comes with celebrating the birth of Christ and the boundless hope he brings to a lost world.
But perhaps at no other time in our history are we further from any sense of the comfort and convenience that has become associated with Christmas and many traditional social norms. Yet maybe we have a chance to be closer to the true meaning of Christmas like no other time before. I think of the Christmas star that was followed many centuries ago, and it makes me think how that Star of Bethlehem must have been such a defining light of hope for an unwed virgin and a lowly carpenter, as the world around them seemed chaotic and out of control.
For many of us, 2025 seems like a year that has been placed outside of our control, with profound transformation and uncertainty.
But I have to remind myself that what was so significant about the first Christmas is really true today: A new life was given in a tough world, and that life would be built on a foundation of sacrifice for fellow man, friend or foe, to pay the ultimate sacrifice for us all. I hope, as this year comes to an end, that we can pluck moments of light out from the darkness, realize the true meaning of this Christmas and energize our hearts with hope and selflessness, as we trudge on into 2026.
As my family and I prepare to celebrate this Christmas season, many of you are in my thoughts and prayers, especially those suffering from hardships. Let us all remember this Christmas season to help others and to do what is right, regardless of our differences.
Merry Christmas and God bless all!
Dover City Councilman Brian E. Lewis
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
