I have been AWOL once again. I have been laboring away at my various “brick & mortar” jobs over the past week and a half. Luckily, nothing overly devastating in world or Springfield news has grabbed my attention.

I would like to take this opportunity to briefly comment on the holiday season. Whatever your religious perspective, I think that we can all agree that Christmas is a time that we should be thinking of others before ourselves. For that reason, I prefer Merry Christmas to Happy Holidays. I am not one of those militant pro-Merry Christmas people. I am not offended by “Happy Holidays,” which in addition to being alliterative, is actually more inclusive of New Year’s and, earlier on, Thanksgiving in addition to other religions’ holy days.

In my religious perspective, the coming of Christ (which as anybody should know is second to Easter) is a time of celebration and hope for better things to come in the afterlife. However, it is also a time of second chances. Christ’s coming offers humanity redemption. Thankfully, God seems willing to offer us as a race many “second chances” and I think that we should try to live up to our end a little better each time. At this point it may be good to reflect on the various political topics discussed here. Making the most of our second chances is giving to the needy, protecting the environment, ensuring economic security for others and not just yourself (when possible), and living up to the great power that is handed to us. While I do not share the same, often pandering approach that some on the right take, politicians are empowered by the people, and by extension God. They, especially those who have abused that power (and lost their seats because of it), should think during this holiday about the great gift of leadership that we have bestowed upon them.

Forgive me as I wax idealistic. To conclude, going back to second chances, I urge you to try to offer that second chance to people who have “tresspassed against us.” I think that regardless of religious persuassion you can find the good in that. Remember, the wise men gave Christ earthly things, but He and His father gave us the greatest gift: a second chance for us all.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Season’s Greetings

Let’s make God/Yahweh/Allah/Vishnu/Buddha/etc. proud.