This Christmas, may we resist the urge to avoid the story.
May we refuse the narcotic of a sentimental peace.
May we let discomfort sharpen our compassion rather than spark our defensiveness.
May we see Gaza, Bethlehem, and our own communities through the same moral lens.
May we resist every form of cruelty—whether wrapped in the language of national security, partisan hostility, or entitlement.
May we become, in every way we can, people who protect the vulnerable rather than rationalize their suffering.
And may the Christ we remember as a fragile, displaced, at-risk child, awaken in us the courage to choose justice over comfort, truth over propaganda, and hope over cynicism.
Rev. David Felten