A stable government will allow private religious devotion to move in unhindered manner within the home and place of worship. Healthy governments allow seasonal and limited displays of worship traditions in the public square. The commemorative Christian display, Jewish observance, Muslim prayer or Hindu festival within the view of those of differing faiths is not an infringement of rights. The majority that embraces human liberty must stand against the religious rigidity of the minority. My nation is currently infected with the malaise of a political pox. Merchants might choose to chirp ‘Happy Holidays’ instead of wishing the consumer a ‘Merry Christmas’. I leave my purchases on the counter and quietly ask for a refund. I am buying gifts because it is Christmas. I do not open my wallet for a ‘Happy Holiday’. Intellectual midgets fight to rename Christmas trees as ‘holiday trees’. On one side of town neighbours may be fighting over a public nativity scene. On the opposite side of town families are lining up to tour a neighbourhood community that has joyfully decorated its homes and lawns for the Christmas season. The Dallas area is blessed with absolutely delightful community displays of the Christmas spirit. Venturing out on a cold night to see the dazzling twinkling of lights is usually followed by mugs of hot chocolate within my own little abode. Many citizens in the US identify with Christianity as personal faith. But we still must put up the occasional fight to assure that the spirit of the law embedded within the constitutional document is upheld. We consider the constitution a living, breathing document. It has the breath of our forefathers in it. The dead still speak through the words they penned for the generations of Americans to come. Time-stamped traditional displays of worship that overflow into the public square certainly look like freedom of religion and pursuit of happiness to me! Let Scrooge stay home and pull his drapes. For Christians, our traditions are embedded in the soil of Bethlehem and not the gravel of rabble-rousing political correctness. So it is with love for all, yet retaining the greatest of love for my own religious traditions that I write today. Let me explain the beauty that accompanies the Christmas season by decorating my living room Christmas tree for you with ornaments of scripture and song! “Emmanuel, Emmanuel. His name is called Emmanuel. God with us…” The lyrics to this modern worship hymn are easy to sing because the vocal range is only an octave. This simple song reminds us of the words in the Gospel of John: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” — John 1:14 (NIV). Christians believe that God became flesh. He dwelt among us for little more than three decades. He showed himself to be ‘God with us’. He is not the god who wound the clock and left it to tick its way into eternity. He is the god of wood, nails and a place called Golgotha. I dearly love Handel’s ‘Messiah’ because I have emotional investiture in the work. I shared the stage as part of a dance troupe that accompanied a full choir and orchestra presentation of Handel’s work. The memory is a high point in my life. It was a thrill to dance before a packed house of 1,000 for two nights in a row. As the choir rang out the word ‘wonderful!’ my feet left the stage and I was carried aloft in the capable hands of the male dancer. My white dress twirled and my pink ballet slippers were there for all to admire. The words from ‘For unto us a child is born’ continue to lap waves of mercy across my soul. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulder; and His name shall be called, Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.” The words to this powerful chorus are taken from the book of Isaiah. His words are considered a prophetic utterance of a coming Messiah (Isaiah 9:6 and 7). Many songs have been written about Mary, the mother of Jesus. Christians believe that Jesus was born of a virgin. She was a young woman who did not enter into the physical aspects of a marriage covenant until after the birth of her son. During the Christmas season, ‘Mary did you know?’ can be heard on our radio stations. This modern hymn is written in a minor key: “Mary did you know/ that your baby boy would one day walk on water? Mary did you know/ that your baby boy would save your sons and daughters? Did you know/ that your baby boy has come to make you new? This Child that you delivered will soon deliver you.” But what about Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus? He was a simple carpenter. Instructed by an angel to accept a baby that did not spring from his own marriage bed required incredible manly fortitude. There is a modern song that gives the perspective of Joseph regarding the reconciliation of his thoughts to the birth event that impacted his life. The song is titled, ‘Joseph’s lullaby’. It is quite beautiful. “Go to sleep, my son. This manger for your bed. You have a long road before you. Rest your little head…I believe the glory of heaven is lying in my arms tonight. Lord, I ask that he for just this moment, simply be my child.” Christians believe that God sent the world a hug when He gave this gift named Jesus. We decorate our trees with great joy and lovingly place the gifts under its branches. As for me, I send a hug to the Christian community in Pakistan today. Merry Christmas! The writer is a freelance columnist. She can be reached at tammyswof@msn.com