To the editor:
In Canada, Christmas comes when the days are shortest and the nights darkest.
People living in our technologically sophisticated society no longer believe the Sun god must be cajoled northward to warm the bridal bed for spring. Sacrificial blood rituals have been replaced with factory-processed, cellophane-wrapped turkeys, but the time-honoured traditions of feasting and drinking continue to be enjoyed.
Canadian families have the freedom to celebrate events associated with the winter solstice in whatever manner they choose. Families in war-ravaged Syria do not.
Countless images of death and destruction have desensitized most of us to the point we barely notice their insidious little teeth gnawing away at our souls. However, a single image of violence has the potential to burrow itself into a child’s mind and spawn monsters with teeth large enough to tear down bedroom walls in the middle of the night.
Hope is rooted in the knowledge that there is not enough darkness in the whole world to obscure the flickering light of a single candle. Love ignites the spark of hope and love sustains the flame.
May your new year be filled with love peace tolerance and joy, and by all means have a merry Christmas.
Lloyd Atkins
Vernon