And So This Is Christmas

 And so this is Christmas.

Apologies to John Lennon for borrowing this line. The inspiration for this post came to me early one cold and dark morning recently as I was dropping some recyclables into the outdoor bin.

We've all heard the refrain about how Christmas is the season of love and goodwill toward others. Well, it seems the spirit of the season is sorely lacking in much of the world.

At home, a woman pregnant with a non-viable fetus was forced to flee her home state of Texas to obtain an abortion after the state supreme court forbid her from getting an abortion. Her need for an abortion was just that -- a medical need to abort a fetus that will not survive after birth and that threatens her ability to have a child in the future. I guess women aren't worthy of making their own medical decisions in the eyes of the far right wing republicans. Merry Christmas, women of America!

On the other side of the planet, Israel and Hamas are going after each other, with innocent civilians on both side paying the greatest price. Neither Jews nor Muslims celebrate Christmas, but the spirit of the season is sorely lacking in that part of the world, regardless of one's religious affiliation.

All of the traditional Christmas activities in Bethlehem have been canceled by Christian leaders in solidarity with the people of Gaza. I have visited Bethlehem. Unlike the village of some 2,000 people at the time of Christ, it is now a city with more than 28,000 residents. It is filled with shops that cater to the tourists that visit the city's Church of the Nativity. The photo shows a metal star placed above the traditional birthplace of Jesus.

In New Mexico, two teenage boys were playing with guns one night at the high school they both attended. One boy was shot and killed; his friend has been charged with manslaughter. Why teenagers were out of the house, and more importantly, why they had guns, has not yet been explained. But two families will remember this Christmas, and not in a good way, for the remainder of their lives.

The people of Ukraine continue their fight for freedom as they battle the invading forces of Russia and face the real possibility of running out of ammunition because the republicans in Congress refuse to authorize the expenditure of more funds.

In Africa, where hunger is a persistent problem, years of climate change- related drought have left tens of millions facing starvation. I witnessed the drought in February during a trip to Tanzania. Fields that should have been filled with crops were nothing but blowing dust.

I know there are good people and organizations doing good things to help, but this year, perhaps more than others, I have no Christmas spirit. My Christmas CDs remain tucked away. Christmas decorations and lights remain stored in the garage. There is no holiday baking to fill the house with wonderful smells. 

I will do nothing except make donations to 10 or so of my favorite charities and hope that things will get better. Doing something for others reminds me of the good being done to bring a bit of hope to this sad, war-torn world.