Hostility rises among wonderful truths

Christmas is a time of love, joy and family. It's a time to celebrate the greatest event of all time.

No other religion offers hope. No other brings peace from the "Prince of Peace." None other wants the highest good for people. No other religion provides life so abundant in the here and now and an eternal home in the hereafter.

Yet with all these wonderful truths, hostility arises. Animosity rears its ugly head resulting in the removal of nativity scenes; the banning of Christmas plays and even for bidding the singing of well-loved Christmas carols.

Pardon me but I'm not into "Happy Holidays." If Jesus is taken out of Christmas, there's nothing left to celebrate. And I don't write "Christmas" as Xmas."

Can you offer anything better than having our sins forgiven? (Matthew 9:2)

Even physicians agree that unforgiveness is poison to the physical body and encourages the development of degenerative diseases.

Please show me something better than peace of mind. "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth…" (John14: 27).

What can be better than God's tremendous Christmas gift of eternal life? (John 3:16) I want to celebrate the birthday of the One who gives hope to a lost, hurting world.

The Bible does not give a specific date when Christ was born, but at least at this time of year, God's message of love is proclaimed to the world.

Home! The very word makes us joyful. A house with love in it and just to be home again, if only for a little while. Just to hear the laughter, taste mom's cooking and look into the faces of those we love. Even the tearful goodbyes are worth the precious times we have with family.

Our children are grown and gone but the decorations they made in grade school are still brought out and displayed every year. They are the tangible memories of happiness in a house full of love.

Without Jesus, there is no purpose in life. There is only emptiness, loneliness and frustration. There is no hope for eternal life.

Jesus can take the empty meaningless packages of our lives and make them beautiful…inside and out. He can fill them with significance and give them value too great to comprehend.

My husband says I have Christmas every day. Well, why not? Christmas is hope and joy and meaning. Christmas is divine love wrapped in human form. Christmas is the celebration of life because of the one who gave his life that we might live with him forever..

So I'm going for it. I'll celebrate. I'll make candy and popcorn balls. We'll have a Christmas dinner and then reread the Christmas story in Luke.

No one can take Christmas away from us. It's deep within our hearts!

Judy Brandon is a Clovis resident. Contact her at: [email protected]