The editor of the December issue of Better Homes and Gardens penned a short piece titled The End Is Not Yet. I suspect the lingering memories of the First World War contributed to the somber undertone of the article. Despite the cheerful merriment of the season, the editor observed that the specter of war continued to loom over humanity, as it always had. Homemakers were urged to set their heads and hearts to “the outlawry of war,” and encouraged to make the Christmas spirit a living and active reality.
A century later, the sentiment feels just as timely. Across the globe there is war. There is strife. There is death. In recent days, acts of violence in public places, in communities both far away and close to home, have taken innocent lives. I want to say something profound, something deeply moving in the face of such loss during the holiday season. I want to, but I have nothing. People should not be gunned down during the holidays. The truth, of course, is that they should not be gunned down at any time of year.
I heard a sermon last year about Jesus being called the Prince of Peace and how that title does not promise an end to conflict or suffering. Arguments were made and perhaps they were sound? I am not a biblical scholar. What do I know? Only this. Human life should be regarded as so precious that no one would ever consider committing such acts. And yet it is not. I do not know how to change that.
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