To celebrate Christmas now as well as at the time of Christ’s birth is an act of protest. Every Christmas tree raised, every creche set up, every candle lit on the Advent wreath is an act of protest, a sign of faith against despair – a candle lit that shines forth in the dark of our world.

After Paris this past weekend, after 9/11, after all the innocent blood shed in between – maybe Isaiah has the best answer for what we can do in the face of staggering evil.

I am reading the Bhagavad Gita, engaging in dialogue on every page, scribbling in the margin as I read and analyze the text. And as my doctor friend says, expanding my mind in the process.