I think we should cancel Christmas this year.
Who can really believe that an angel came to Mary and told her she was going to carry the Son of God?
Who can really believe that the baby whom Elizabeth carried 'jumped' for joy when he heard Mary's voice?
Who can really believe that, in response to Elizabeth's blessing, Mary would speak, much less sing, what we now call the Magnificat?
Who can really believe that an angel of the Lord would appear to Joseph in a dream and tell him to take Mary as his wife, rather than quietly put her away for her 'infidelity'?
Who can really believe in . . . .
A Savior born into the world, yet the starvation & thirst continues?
A Messiah born to lead us to new life, yet human governments and high placed corruption continues?
The Prince of Peace comes, yet hatred, prejudice, injustice and bigotry continues, much of it in His name?
Emmanuel makes His appearance, still landmines are planted, violence is plotted and billions are spent on the newest technology to blow each other to 'kingdom come'?
I think we should cancel Christmas this year . . . 
Put Santa Claus and the elves, even the Elf on the Shelf, in the closet, package up the Christmas lights, take down the tree, peel the decorations off the lawn and discard the Christmas cards . . . until such a time as what humanity professes to believe is reasonably embodied by how we choose to live, one with the other, including the Presidential nominees;
until an embrace of Jesus is also an expression of our willingness to take someone far different from ourselves into our homes;
until our romantic acceptance of 'Ho-ho-ho!' becomes the realistic manifestation of 'Home-Home-Home!' for all God's girls and boys;
until such a time as God doesn't have to prove God's own existence for the satisfaction of people who believe more in their own intellect than in the God who made them from the earth;
and until, in our hearts, angels can fly and sing, shepherds can witness and run in, Wise Men can travel long distances . . . and the hungry are fed, the thirsty are given drink, the naked are clothed, the imprisoned are visited, and the sick are given care,
In think we should cancel Christmas this year . . . but I don't have a vote in it.
God is far more gracious, just, loving, capable of mercy and willing to give second chances than I will ever be . . . and God believes in you. God believes in your capacity to see things differently this year, to believe more strongly, and to act more faithfully. God believes humanity is redeemable.
So, God sends Jesus.
I only pray we are as ready for Him as God believes us to be . . . otherwise, we might as well cancel Christmas this year. Yes, I know, I don't have a voice in it. You are right and . . .
God is God.
Get ready. Here God comes! Meet God!
Have a blessed Advent and Christmas!