Hope and happiness feel almost inappropriate – as if taking time to appreciate anything good is naïve – even irresponsible – a failure to come to terms with the gravity of everything. But this is wrong – we need hope more than ever. We need happiness and Christmas is the time for it. While – perhaps – the scale of our challenges might be unprecedented, Christmas is timed deliberately to fall close to the winter solstice when the nights are darkest and the light furthest away. Since very ancient times humans have been vulnerable to despair at this time of year. We are not the first. More than anything – whether you believe in the Christian message or not – I think Christmas is about hope against all odds. This is why we need Christmas – at this time of year it is not wrong to turn into the light because without hope and a deliberate focus on things that are good, we won’t have the strength to do anything about the dark. It is what Christmas is for.
Love this.