Christmas is such a beautiful time of the year. Physically beautiful with the color and light; spiritually beautiful with story and song. Then there is the special baby - a baby whose birth was greeted by angels, a baby whose birth meant tidings of joy for all people everywhere, a baby who would save the world. We gather for worship, enjoy familiar company, exchange holiday wishes, then go home, drink eggnog, and eat Christmas treats. God is in heaven and all is right with the world. Or so it often seems.

But all was not right with the world Christmas 2005. A pressure was building up deep beneath the surface. Two unyielding forces were pushing against each other. We sang our Christmas carols ... oblivious. Others partied on, and holidayed on - walked along moonlit beaches hand in hand, wr…