Merry Christmas, everyone! For those of us in the northern hemisphere, the celebration of the coming of the light during one of the longest nights of the year takes on a particularly poignant meaning. Regardless of your faith background, spiritual path, or even your geographical location, Cheryl and I wish you the blessings of the season, and we offer a prayer of hope for our wounded world. May generosity overcome vacuity and consumer culture, may our thirst for justice truly be a quest for fairness and equality, and may we humbly come to appreciate our place on this fragile planet we call home. We wish you hope, peace, joy and love, at this time and for the year to come.