Holiday wishes, 2025
Can a world of strife ever heal?
A number of you received my last Christmas email back in 2023. I did indeed skip 2024 and the short reason why was the election. I thought I’d come clean.
I realized how close to national politics I have been when my wife and I went to see a documentary about Alex Jones a few years ago and I recognized an uncomfortable number of people. See, for me, the names of political figures, grifters, frauds and abusers are faces I’ve seen, emails I’ve shared, hands I’ve shaken. I’m having to count on two hands now the number of exposé articles in the NYTimes about someone I can find in my Facebook friend’s list.
The stresses, backstabbing, violence and profound disagreements of our current politics reach a personal place for me — and about this time last year, the feeling of anguish was truly overwhelming.
One can feel the pain of the world so strongly and want it to end, and yet each day wake up to an unforgiving, unchanging status quo.
But, dammit, we have only the choice to resign to this or to act.
The world is not new to conflict — and, gee, the region the Romans called Palestine is still not at peace. Christmastime is, at its best, a promise of change. And I realize now that the anger and hurt I felt is exactly why the promise of change is needed. Of goodwill on Earth and peace to all mankind. God, it sounds cliche, but only because it’s such a common and longstanding desire among us all.
Today, I’m still not over it all. I’m not past the way some former colleagues decided their fealty to a political figure was more important than our friendship. But in 2025, instead of dispair, I found a mission (or missions, plural, if you like).
For one, in 2025, I became a founding board member of Abundant Housing Michigan to fight to legalize housing right here where I live. I also get to continue the Cans Film Festival, now with a legitimate non-profit organization behind it. And of course, I couldn’t be prouder of how NODEHAUS has been able to maneuver a difficult year.
These are the things I want to focus on. In detached, massive national politics, I find only a grim, almost nihilistic outlook. But when I am in direct contact and direct communication with others, I find hope. Talking with people, being able to listen intently and in earnestness — that’s where our future lives.
In 2026, peace and goodwill is possible, but it’s a promise we have to make to ourselves and our neighbors every day. Christmas is only a reminder of it.