The kids are excited, and they are on extra special good behaviour.
And we are going to go out to a Christmas eve meetup before going to our local Church for a Christmas Eve service. The kids have loved it each year so far.
But I can not help but think of those for whom this is not a good time. There are those who have lost loved ones both nearby, as well as those abroad, and of course, those in the Holy Land.
For the record, I am in favour of a just peace for all those in the Holy Land. One that does not mean living under threat from bombs, missiles and one free of injustice and oppression. Israel has been accused of behaving like Nazi's and I think on the whole, this is not a fair comparison. Even though I feel that they are stealing land from the Palestinians for Living Space, they do not murder in the manner that the Nazi's did.
While I do think that Israel should exist, and that people of the Jewish faith should have the right to return to Israel, that should not be at the expense of the people who have lived in Palestine before. The Holy Land is being tainted by violence against Jews, Muslims and Christians, which is sad when all three religions preach peace. Arabs in Israel had more rights comared to Muslims in most other 'Muslim' nations, but the Arab Spring has put and end to that with democracy spreading. The sad thing is that democracy should have come about in Palestine. But after Hamas won the elections in Gaza, Bush the second with the PLO plotted to over throw the democratically elected officials in Gaza. Mahmoud Abbas was elected into office but from what I understand, he has held onto power beyond his term, and therefore like Hamas who have refused to hold any elections, is in essence, a dictator in name. And while this goes on, more land is stolen from Palestinans and the world watches.
Tonight I will be saying a prayer for all those in the Holy Land. A prayer for a just peace for all.
And I wish you all a Merry Christmas.
