In a holiday season that seems to start earlier each year, today — Christmas Day — at long last affords us an opportunity to take time to reflect on what Christmas really is.

In the debate over the propriety of Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays, the real meaning of Christmas seems to have been lost.

The Christmas story is at its heart a revolutionary one for Christians — that God is part of human history in the person of Jesus, born to Mary in a rude stable in Bethlehem in a world in upheaval.

The message that Jesus brought is also revolutionary at heart — a message of forgiveness, of healing and of hope. The Christmas story and its message is one that has unfolded for the past two millennia and will continue to unfold throughout the history of the human race.

Today, in that history, there are many celebrations in our diverse community that compete for our attention — from Hanukkah to Christmas to Kwanzaa to Eid al-Adha.

The philosophies are different, but they all have at their core faith the will and the spirit to believe in what is possible.

Perhaps never before has that been more needed.

In the midst of today's debris of Christmas wrappings, the plenty of our new toys and new baubles, the bounteous feasts, and the warmth of the joy we share with family and friends, we can reflect, also, on that Christmas story of faith and its meaning for our world, still in upheaval. From the fractures in our personal lives, to problems in our community like homelessness, to national discord, to our large and perilous global issues, we still have faith to sustain us.

Whatever our faith or belief system, we can offer our own gifts of peace and hope, forgiveness and healing within our communities today and throughout the year.

That will be the real gift of this season.

Have a Merry Christmas.