All is Calm

The congregation was bathed in candlelight as we began to sing "Silent Night." Voices were off-key and at different volumes. Some were loud; others were tentative as everyone tried to wrap their voices around this beautiful Christmas song.

There, among the members of the Thomas Parker Unitarian Church of West Roxbury, I was reminded of the simplicity and the depth of the holiday. Here, among people who were each following their own religious path, I saw the simple truth. We are here together in celebration and the birth of Christ brought us here.

Now, I am not here to debate the religious implications of Jesus Christ. It is enough for the moment that we believe that two thousand years ago a man named Jesus walked the earth and preached peace. This message of hope has resonated down through the centuries as the peal of a great bell that vibrates within us even today. Especially today. For the bell always tolls loudest on this day.

So I stand with my fellow travelers and raise my voice in song, embracing the moment and remembering the first time that I ever fully understood the simple truth of the holiday.

Thank you, Linus.

Merry Christmas to all.