Editorial: Peace and good will

Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2007 | 7:22 a.m.

It can be difficult to find much good will during the holiday season. Travelers find crowded airplanes, late flights and jammed freeways. Shoppers see similar conditions at the mall. Pervading the season is an ever-present rush to get ready for Christmas.

The rush is due to the dream dancing in many adults' heads - to have the "perfect" Christmas idealized in movies and TV specials that have the luxury of being dusted with a healthy dose of Disneyesque Christmas "magic."

Considering all that, it is no wonder that in today's world the real spirit of Christmas seems to be stress.

USA Today reported last week that a growing number of Americans are trying to break the hectic pace of the season and slow down so they can enjoy it. They are trying to create holiday traditions on nontraditional days by spreading the holidays out. The large family gathering that is typically on Christmas Day may be planned for January or early December.

That allows people to travel without the hassle and the cost of the Christmas rush. It also allows people to spend more time with friends and family throughout the holiday season, holding multiple celebrations whenever they can schedule them.

"It's quite a strong statement for these people to realize the most important thing is to be with the family and the timing is a secondary issue," said Sheila McNamee, a communications professor at the University of New Hampshire in Durham.

The Christmas message is the hope of God's peace in the world, and that should not be lost in the holiday bustle and should not be limited to an arbitrary date.

In the retellings of the story of the first Christmas today, it will be noted that angels declared the birth of Jesus, saying, "On Earth peace, good will toward men."

That is a sentiment that should be celebrated every day of the year.