2020 taught me how much the world has changed. Fri Jan 1, 2021 Toward the end of 2020, a difficult year for many, I found myself feeling something I d never felt before. I yearned for a believers Christmas. By believer I mean anyone, including non-Christians, who recognizes the Christian roots of Christmas, who respects and participates in the impact of that tradition, who knows that there is more to this life than the material, and who feels part of a community formed by Christianity, and wants that community to continue. In 2020, I yearned for the public, shared, communal Christmas I remember from my childhood. That Christmas was significantly contributed to by Catholics and Protestants, Jews and Atheists, gays and straights. Now I know that that Christmas is gone and will most likely not return in my lifetime.
By Howie Nave
Christmas started early for this guy once the pandemic hit. I put my Christmas lights up over the 4th of July and for a short while started watching Christmas movies too to try and get that feel-good feeling happening. Okay, I also did it because I wanted to watch movies where no one was wearing a mask and hugging one another without fear of being exposed. I’ve always enjoyed movies for their pure escapism and who doesn’t want to escape what we’ve been through already ya know? I also like being wrapped around a movie completely. No small screen for this guy and Got forbid watching one on a screen that fits in your pocket. No thanks. I want that large, theater size screen at home to feel like you’re actually in the movie, kinda like “Pleasantville” ya know? I could see myself in glorious black and white just observing Jimmy Stewart as George Baily in that classic 1946 flick, It s A Wonderful Life.