Mele Kalikimaka!

Wishing you a very, merry Christmas! I wanted to expand on the Christmas card we enclosed with our gift to you and thought it would also be a good way to demonstrate use of QR codes and/or short links. Mahalo for playing with us on this experiment!

The True Meaning of Christmas

The art of the cover of the card is a modern interpretation of an ancient Greek Orthodox icon of the Nativity Scene and I specifically chose it for two reasons: first, because I am a Greek Orthodox Christian and second, because for me, it brings the essence of Christmas back to its roots.

For many, the Christmas season is a busy time, whether its for shopping, selling, closing out the year, final exams, or just trying to get enough work done in advance in order to enjoy the holiday break.  That card we sent and this page is intended to remind us all of what Christmas is really all about.

Christmas, simply, is celebrating the birth of Christ, whom is seen as a savior to many. Regardless of one’s specific faith, the influence of Jesus Christ on our world has been perhaps more significant than any person in the known history of mankind.  I remember years ago when I was on the steps of the Acropolis in Athens hearing the tour guide describe the transition between the pagan gods of Zeus and Athena to Jesus.  She summarized it beautifully:  “These were the key temples used to pray until Jesus, the God of Love, came”.

The birth of Christ represents the birth of a new philosophy, one that is based on love, forgiveness, and the complete giving of oneself for the betterment of others.  And whether you are Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist,or Atheist, there is much to be gained and little to be lost by embracing this philosophy wholeheartedly, if only for 12 days.

I deeply appreciate your friendship, kinship, and support.  Have a Merry, Merry Christmas and may its true meaning warm your heart throughout the year.

 

Peter