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Every year, various movie versions of Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol air on our televisions, reminding us of the importance of putting others first and how Christmas is a time of reconciliation instead of division.
Unfortunately, in modern-day America, we have forgotten that message.
After Donald Trump’s recent election victory, leftist Yale fellow Amanda Calhoun commented on why family members who voted for Kamala Harris should refuse to celebrate the holidays with their friends and family members: “So, if you are going into a situation where you have family members, where you have close friends who you know have voted in ways that are against you … it’s completely fine to not be around those people and to tell them why.”
As I write in my recent book, Stumbling Toward Utopia: How the 1960s Turned Into a National Nightmare and How We Can Revive the American Dream: “This is not new. In the last few political cycles, commentators on the Left openly called for children to confront, vilify, and humiliate any relatives, including parents, who may have voted for conservatives, at family get-togethers such as Thanksgiving and Christmas.”
Thus, these holidays, when Americans normally put their differences aside to appreciate each other, have turned into a battle royale of angry partisan warfare.
I have a dear friend who has had a wonderful relationship with his older brother for over 60 years despite their political differences. My friend is a conservative Republican, and his brother is a far-left Democrat. On the day after the election, his brother posted that he will no longer talk to nor associate with friends and family — including his brother — if they voted for Trump or any other Republican. My friend grieves his brother’s reaction and the potential loss of relationship simply because he exercised his constitutional right to vote for the candidate who will likely implement policies he supports.
Sadly, as a result, he will not be seeing his brother this Christmas. My friend will continue to love his brother, but he is not about to toss a match on gasoline until his sibling’s temper cools.
In homes nationwide, children have turned against parents and parents against children over political matters. I have friends who have not seen their children or grandchildren for years because of this.
In the past, certain events brought family and friends together, regardless of their political or religious beliefs. Whether it was jointly rooting for a favorite sports team, discussing their favorite movies or TV shows, or sitting around the dinner table at Christmas, Americans came together rather than apart. The friendship between conservative Jimmy Stewart and liberal Henry Fonda is one example I share in my book:
One (Stewart) was a dedicated Presbyterian family man who had a forty-four-year-long marriage (and was a decorated war hero). The other, Fonda, an agnostic, endured several divorces (and father of Jane Fonda). They could bicker over politics, but at the end of the day, they remained good and devoted friends who cared deeply about each other despite their differences.
Unfortunately, as our society has become more fragmented and people have hunkered down into their individual tribes, these bonds have not only started to fray but are now on the verge of becoming irreparably broken. That breakdown has reached the family dinner table — but it cannot continue.
As we celebrate Christ’s birth this Christmas, all of us, regardless of our political persuasion, should strive to live out Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:43-44 to “love your enemies.” For us conservatives, that means showing respect rather than returning the fire of those with whom we may disagree.
By following Christ’s words, the open wounds tearing our society apart can start to heal. We can once again stand together despite our differences and seek the common good for each other rather than personal vengeance for ourselves. That is my hope and prayer this Christmas.
