December 25, 2025
Christmas. A moment in time yet one that is always situated as but one point in a journey. Today King Charles III spoke to a journey forward towards peace and reconciliation while also speaking to the journey back as a conscious effort to reflect, learn and appreciate who we are and how we arrived at this point for the purpose of aiding in the journey forward.
I share his sentiments and found his address and the setting, especially the Ukrainian choir quite moving. It is the first time I have ever listened twice to a royal Christmas message, so that should say how much I enjoyed the address. Perhaps this attention is because of where I am at in my journey and how there is more than coincidence with the similarity of views.
We find ourselves living during what is being described as tumultuous times, with divisions and conflicts becoming more pronounced around the world. To say the least, like many, I am disconcerted and upset with how the abuse of power of the few is forcing such major dislocation and change for the many. And yet, there is a light of hope shining in the darkness.
As King Charles III noted, there is a significant commonality of beliefs amongst religious leaders grounded in peace and goodwill. While there is frustration in dealing with those in powerful positions who are unfortunately causing such disruption and conflict, there is also a solid and ever-growing movement of resistance to such leaders. And while there are acts of terrorism and of acts aimed at particular segments of our society, there are also significant acts of heroism and of coming and standing together in support of those who cannot.
These latter acts and the shared common beliefs will be what continues to provide strength and resilience for each and all of us. With a commitment from each of us to build forward on the Christmas journey so as to nurture what binds us – kindness, a desire for peace, and respect, we will find ourselves with the realization of a better tomorrow.
Hope. Peace. Joy. Love. These four tenets of the advent period leading to Christmas are in my view not limited to advent. They are very much the foundation for ongoing reflection, for a search for what is important and possible even in the face of the seemingly impossible, and for both individual and communal well-being that goes way beyond Christmas.
There is hope in the promise of a better tomorrow and knowing that there are leaders who are working in that direction. There is peace that is possible through knowing oneself and that one is not alone such that there is internal contentment and peace amongst us. There is joy with the anticipation and the growing realization that we together are strong and resilient based on our human spirit of the positive. There is love through the kindness, generosity, selflessness, and respect which is global and able to withstand the abuse and hate promoted by the few.
As we move forward in the coming days through to the end of 2025 and into the new year of 2026, let us continue our journey of being open to the possibilities generated by the positive and the strength, beliefs and resiliency of human kind. We each must step forward in making this possibility be reality. Our different life journeys connect each of us through a belief in the power of the human spirit and communal well-being.
George