Open Forum.

An excerpt from the open forum of today's Brainerd Dispatch...

"Seasons Greetings! 

To all my liberal friends:

Please accept with no obligation, implied or explicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral, celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. 

I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the generally accepted calendar for year 2011 but not without due respect for calendars of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country, nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere. Also this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee.

Art Becker"

Kudos to you, Art, for accurately putting into plain language what the world wants: relativism, extreme "courtesy", and a most distant and detached general well-wishing (while conveying the impression of a heart felt expression of open-ness and love) to all people during a season that really is only a "season" (celebrating what? well, we aren't quite sure anymore) to almost everyone.

With that, I'd like to wish everyone a blessed CHRISTMAS. Let us come together to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus, and strive to live our lives according to this tangible truth... that the Savior of the world came to earth to free us from the bonds of sin. He is not distant or detached, He became flesh and dwelt among us, providing faith, hope, and LOVE to all. Share the Good News & be Christ to those around you... making an effort, with God's grace, to do all things with great love. 

"It is not the magnitude of our actions but the amount of love that is put into them that matters." - Mother Teresa