This is Floyd Wynne with THE VIEW FROM HERE (12-16-04)

It’s only nine days until Christmas. Today, the sounds and songs of Christmas are being threatened by the cares of the world...with war in Iraq....with troubles at the UN....with people and institutions trying to disavow Christmas and all its symbols.
Let’s pause for a moment...amid the sea of multiple troubles...and think about Christmas. Let me repeat a view that I first wrote in 1987...some 27 years ago.....it is just as appropriate today. It read:
Christmas is a wonderful time of the year to reflect on family, friends and everyone around you. A time when good will abounds...when people think of others instead of themselves.
The world today, unfortunately, is not a great deal different than it was that night almost 2,000 years ago when Christ was born in Bethlehem.
Then the world was in the grip of the military power of the Roman legions. There were wars, famine, pestilence and tragedy. Poverty and oppression were widespread.
Today we still face the same kind of world. Military power controls many nations of the world, and religious wars threaten the peace of the world. We still have famine, pestilence, poverty and oppression.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if somehow one could wave a magic wand and cure most of the ills of the world?
Suppose, for instance, that no nation was intent on making war on another...all were at peace with each other. Armies would be non-existent, and the nations would be concentrating on improving the lot of people everywhere.
All the efforts of mankind would be concentrating on solving the problems of health, disease, illiteracy, poverty....and scientific exploration would proceed without the overtones of military necessity.
Racial and religious barriers would be eliminated and people would all have the same opportunities to fulfill their desire for peace and happiness.
It’s hard to imagine that kind of a world.
As I said earlier...if I had a magic wand, but unfortunately I don’t. We can, however, begin the transition to that kind of a world by beginning with the small world in which each of us live.
Stop for a moment and review where you are in that small world that you occupy. Are you respectful of your neighbor? Are you concerned about others and their needs and desires? Can you truly say that you have no racial or religious prejudices?
Are you willing to share what you have so others may also not be in want? Do you envy what others have?
Simple questions....but isn’t that the real basis for world peace and understanding? We must begin with ourselves.
Yes, I know that at Christmas time most of us reach out to others, and are filled with the spirit of love and compassion.
If this spirit could only pervade our lives every day of the year, wouldn’t it be a wonderful world?
We have a world today that is little better than it was some two thousand years ago. The message of “Peace on Earth...good will to all men” has not changed much in these ensuing two thousand plus years.

                   This is Floyd Wynne and that’s THE VIEW FROM HERE.