To the many people who celebrate a holiday today, I wish you a Merry Christmas. I am allowed to wish you the best for your holiday, and definitely not interested in any supposed war on Christmas. Many of you have wished me Happy New Year (both for the secular one and the one in September) and an easy fast, and it has been decided, at least in this continent, to treat Chanukah as if it were a big moment on the Jewish calendar, even if it really is not, so that our children will not feel deprived. Last year's "December 25" post covered much of this ground, and except for one item below, there is no reason to re-hash all of that again.

In any event, I have had my Chinese food for the day, but the Celtics move me more than would going to a movie and the replay of a Red Sox game from April is probably on tap as well. Everything else worth discussing in this space which will not lead to the happy thoughts which I have been told should apply to this day, so I will save them for tomorrow. In the meantime, the Senate, previously only able to rouse itself on Christmas Eve to permit confederate soldiers to serve the United States thirty years after the Civil War ended performed a more useful function yesterday. Senator Reid, hardly an eloquent speaker, was inspirational yesterday morning and he deserves the gratitude of us all for pulling this off under the horribly adverse circumstances in which we find ourselves(can't help it, but more on this in the morning). The memory of the greatest Senator in my lifetime, Edward Moore Kennedy, was honored wonderfully yesterday, particularly by his old foe Senator Byrd's tribute to him as he cast his vote from a wheelchair.

Paul Krugman did a great job in identifying Tiny Tim's (or, really, Charles Dickens') role in all of this and there is no point in trying to duplicate it.

Instead, this day could be best be celebrated, in my non-Christian opinion, as a day for healing. There is, as this post bleeds into tomorrow's again, much that divides us both politically and otherwise and, the Senate's sacrifice of its 1895 Christmas Eve notwithstanding, it remains unclear whether we are, truly, one nation since well over 100 years after the civil war the same divisions exist today.

The shock has not been the divisions but is the growing demise of the tolerance which began creeping into our country after we saw, in World War II, the horrible consequences of a lack of tolerance when it becomes the guiding force of a country's politics. A dislike of those who are not exactly the same as we are has, sadly, always been a part of this country's makeup, but, we seemed to be growing out of it as I grew up in the sixties.

Then somehow that view became disparaged, first by a stultifying political correctness and then to such foolishness as the so- called war on Christmas.

The other day, a musician whose work (and persona, frankly, I adore) Regina Spektor (I have by the way, been named, her greatest fan, a title I am not sure I can claim, though I would like to), returned from a European tour and posted this on her Facebook page:

it was so good to play all over and see all over and be all over, but now i'm so happy to be home... and it's snow and lights and everyone is being nicer cause it's holiday time! Happy winter to all!!!(except australia, and the others on that side of the planet... i'll wish you happy winter later)hugs, reg

Perhaps not understanding that Regina is Jewish (though it is not likely) one poster felt the need to chastise her for her wishes for a happy winter:

It's OKAY, Regina, you can say the word Christmas; you won't die. Let's all practice together:

"Merry Christmas!"

Great job! I understand why people don't say it because they don't want to offend people, but honestly, I'm offended when people say Happy Holidays.

This young man, who describes himself as a "born again Christian" is "offended" apparently because some of us don't celebrate the same holidays as he does. Offended? In what way?

Sadly, this reminded me of a discovery made about Regina's music which has become part of a discussion elsewhere with someone who write about Jewish-American musicians. That conversation has partly revolved around one of Regina's songs from her recent album, Far, which has hit a Jew who does not often attend services very powerfully in affirming a view of faith which some might find wanting, though it is none of their business.

My discovery is that many non-Jews have also found the song to be very important, which is great. At the same time, though, for some Christians it serves as yet another opportunity to pronounce their own superiority or at least that their beliefs are the "right ones" and that their mission is to convince the rest of us to follow.

Here is an example, written by a pastor who is aware that Regina is "Jewish with a Russian background, but [nonetheless allows that] the lyrics from this song are quite profound." Still, he finds her expression of faith to be

just another piece of evidence that western culture is ripe for evangelism. They want God, but they don't know the way that God has provided through Jesus Christ. Question is, will we, as Christians, show and tell the gospel to a hurting and lost world?

It is a thought that makes one either shake his or her head in sadness, or fly into a rage. Regina herself has written a song relating when

All the believers they were smiling
And winking at each other
I could honestly say I was
Scared for my life!

They said:
All the non-believers, they get to eat dirt
And the believers get to spit on their graves
All the non-believers, they get to eat dirt
And the believers get to spit on their graves

which, I am sorry to say, is an extreme view of how many of us, who do not share the same religious faith as most of our fellow countrymen and women, often feel.

It is a view that is, as far as I am concerned, un American. It is my subject for another day.

Again, best wishes for this day.