Merry Christmas from Gem State Substack

This is why we fight

I have a whole list of drafts waiting for publication, but rather than rushing through them this week I decided to simply wish every one a very happy Christmas.

We do not fight these political battles for their own sake. We do not spend time reading, writing, and volunteering because those are ends unto themselves. We do not testify before legislative committees, write letters to our representatives, and show up at the Capitol for no reason.

No, we do these things for a purpose. We fight for our families, our posterity, and our God. We envision a better world for the next generation, where men and women are free to be their best selves, in harmony with God and nature, unfettered by the chains of tyranny from robber barons and moral busybodies alike.

We fight because we have hope that such a future is possible.

Hope was born in Bethlehem two millennia ago, where God proclaimed that man’s fallen nature would no longer be an impediment to salvation.

We fight because we have hope in this life and assurance for the next.

We know that paradise on earth is impossible, so we oppose those who use such promises to gain temporal power.

Yet Christmas is not a time for fighting (unless you’re George Washington). It is a time for rest, for family, for reflection.

On this very night in the year 1914, in the trenches of France, the soldiers of the Great War took a break from killing each other to engage in a few hours of Christmas fellowship. The incomprehensible death and destruction of the Somme, Verdun, and Passchendaele were yet to come, and for these men, the conflicts of their governments were not their own. These men, whether French or German, still believed in the same God, celebrated the same holidays, and even sang the same songs, albeit in different languages.

Like the soldiers of the Western Front, we will resume our battles once Christmastime is done. For now let us remember the reason for the season, keep our eyes focused on the future, and share the love of Christ with each other.

I wish all of you a happy Christmas, and I will see you again next week.