Much has changed since I wrote this column in 2002. And yet, nothing has changed. I can still remember believing in Santa Claus, now I see the anticipation of Santa’s visit reflected in younger, more innocent eyes. This year, I find myself in a warm and happy home, surrounded by love and joy, but thinking of those who languish alone in dark and joyless places. May their hearts be warmed by memories of Christmases past and the promise of Christmases still to come.
I love everything about Christmas. The white snow, the rainbow of lights and the dawn vision of presents piled under the tree. It is a happy time for my family, a time of joy. Some of our most cherished memories stem from this time of year. But we also remember the inspiration for the celebration, a truth both wonderful and grim.
We remember that Jesus Christ had to come into this fallen world because it was, and is, under the rule of a cruel and malevolent prince, who tempted Him, who slew Him when He would not submit, and who watched in helpless horror as He rose again in power.
The world is still under the rule of that cruel prince, the results of which can be seen every day in the news. Murder, war and tyranny continue to oppress many millions throughout the world, but we who refuse to submit to the ruler of this world are no longer bound by him, for we claim that truth that sets us free, the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ of Nazareth is the true king of Man, yet I remain convinced His Father is a libertarian. Not only did He send His Son to set us free, but He allows us, no, He forces us to decide between acknowledging His Son or seating ourselves upon the throne of our own lives. And that freedom of choice, in the end, is the central liberty; it is the only liberty that matters.
A friend once asked how I could be so cheerful while America rots from within and endures attack from without. The answer is that despite my love for America and my passionate allegiance to the ideas upon which it was constructed, I know that its fate is immaterial. Our country, our homes and even our lives are all things of shadow which will one day disappear in the light of the glory of Jesus Christ.
Despair is the natural state of the thinking man. This is why intellectuals grasp so readily at even the feeblest straw promising hope for Heaven on Earth. But there will be neither peace nor harmony until the revolution begun in a Bethlehem manger is complete, until the murderous ruler of this world is finally deposed. Then, at last, there will be peace and goodwill to men.
Merry Christmas.