We Need a Little Christmas Now

Something tells me that one day, when historians look back and remember the year 2010, it will not exactly incite fond memories. They'll talk about how those of us who lived through this time period experienced the worst economic climate since the Great Depression. They'll discuss America's wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and possibly our "third war" at the Mexican border. They may recall how Iran and North Korea defiantly pursued nuclear weapons. By that point in time, we can only hope and pray that no catastrophic damage will have resulted from the actions of these rogue regimes.

But for the most part, the history books will surely focus on this economy and how it impacted the lives of Americans. They may well explain how it changed our lives forever, and I for one would not be surprised if that turns out to be the case. Why? Because you can't place the blame for this financial collapse entirely on the banks that took on billions and billions of troubled assets, approving mortgages for people who had no business applying for them in the first place. The people themselves have to accept their share of responsibility as well.

America has always had citizens who purchase and consume goods in excess of their basic needs. This practice can even be traced back to ancient civilizations, such as the Roman Empire, Babylon, and Egypt. But common sense tells you that at some point, something had to give. As consumerism rose, there had to come a point when too many people will have purchased and consumed too many goods beyond their basic needs. This event contributed as much to the financial collapse as those greedy Wall Street bankers who everyone loves to hate. People bought more house than they could afford in an ongoing attempt to keep up with the Joneses. They continuously purchased goods with their credit cards, creating a mountain of debt that they would never be able to escape. Those American citizens who were irresponsible with their money are just as much to blame for the situation we're in as anybody or anything else.

And so, now we are at a point when the national unemployment rate has hovered between nine and ten percent for the past year-and-a-half. It has even exceeded that level in several states, such as Nevada, Michigan, California, and Florida. The Census Bureau has come out and reported that we now have over 43 million Americans living in poverty, the highest number in 51 years of record keeping. Over the past decade, the rate of poverty has risen from eleven percent to just over fourteen percent. The rate of home foreclosures has been staggering over the past two years, and only subsided a little bit in November due to the "robo-signing" controversy. Banks were forced to suspend foreclosures while they conducted investigations into widespread claims of notary fraud, giving troubled homeowners a brief respite. Finally, according to the latest Fox News polls, 74% of Americans disapprove of the job Congress is doing, over 65% believe the country is going in the wrong direction, and more people disapprove of the job President Obama has done than approve, by a margin of 47.8% to 45.7%.

What does it all mean? To me, it means that Christmas could not have come at a better time for Americans. We all need to step back and, at least for a little while, take our minds off the myriad of problems that has continued to plague our country over this past year. Be grateful for what you have, rather than ungrateful for what you don't have. Think about all those who have lost their jobs and their homes, and hope that the New Year has better things in store for them. Remember all of our men and women in uniform who fight for our freedom each and every day. But most of all, it is my hope that we will all remember what is most important, and indeed the very reason why we celebrate Christmas every year. Remember that God sent His only Son into our world to guide us, teach us, heal us, and ultimately sacrifice Himself for our sins. If this fact alone cannot comfort you in these difficult times, then nothing will.

At perhaps no other time has Johnny Mathis' words in his classic Christmas song rang so true:
For we need a little music,
Need a little laughter,
Need a little singing
Ringing through the rafter,
And we need a little snappy
"Happy ever after,"
Need a little Christmas now.
Need a little Christmas now.

Merry Christmas to all, and may God's presence in our lives help us make it through the many challenges we are facing during this troubling period in history.