COMMENTARY: So this is Christmas...

“So this is Christmas
And what have you done
Another year over
And a new one just begun
And so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young...”
— John Lennon

Driving down the Broadway Extension, being passed by the reindeer-decorated Hummer, it’s pretty obvious that Christmas is close.

Very close.

The stores are well decorated, and a least one radio station is playing wall-to-wall Christmas carols. BC Clark has dusted off the jingle and we’ve already had snow and ice and winter isn’t even officially here yet.

Yeah, call it Christmas in Oklahoma.

But, to borrow a line from the late John Lennon, “what have we done?”

I wish I knew the answer to that question.

All across the state people are making plans, shopping and generally celebrating the Yuletide. Children — from 1 to 92 — are trying their best to behave and the rest of us are finding it difficult to focus at work.

Christmas does that.

Still, what have we done?

For a brief time, we’ve let go of the normal and found refuge in the silly, the fun and the sacred. With one breath we pause to celebrate a 2,000-year-old miracle and, that same day, find ourselves singing “Grandma’ got ran over by a Reindeer.”

We wrap ourselves against the cold by opening our hearts to others.

For a short time, the poor have souls and those who suffer are remembered. We allow ourselves to care and, briefly, we reach out to others.

All because of Christmas.

Many find comfort in movies and Christmas specials. We smile as the Grinch and English brethren, Ebenezer Scrooge, both find redemption through Grace.

Charlie Brown may always be a blockhead, but he does know how to choose Christmas trees and, yes, Burl Ives will always be a first-class snowman.

But what have we done?

Sure, we see daily examples of anger, spite and meanness. We see bigotry disguised as policy and hear hatred spoken of as justice.

But we also see faith.

And hope.

And love.

Across this state you’ll find thousands who truly care about their fellow man. You’ll find gentle, decent people who want to help and who seek to share what they have with others.

You don’t have to look hard.

I’m always amazed by Oklahomans when we run a story in the paper about a family’s struggle. The ink is barely dry on the newsprint before the telephone is ringing with offers of help.

I still smile as I remember the attorney — whose pledge of secrecy I continue to honor — who offered to help a Norman woman “for as long as she needs or wants it.”

This same attorney is known by several other names — most of which are unprintable — by those who have locked horns with him in court.

So, this is Christmas and what have we done?

We’ve lived, my friends.

We’ve recognized that there is something out there greater than ourselves and, many of us, have opened our homes and our heart to those fellow passengers we share this world with.

We’ve also loved.

For some, Dec. 25 my be just another day.

But for many others, the Christmas holiday is that time to reaffirm our faith in humanity and in our Creator. A time, again, to say “I love you.”

Yes, this is Christmas.

And may yours be bright, warm and filled with hope.