The Left-wing blogosphere is trying to blame Tucker Carlson for kicking off the “War on Christmas” with his truly spot on opening monologue yesterday. As usual, they only got part of the story. Carlson opened with Christmas celebrations as a launch point; the main focus was Democrat politicians’ hypocrisy in crafting executive orders and restrictions that they do not bother to follow themselves. My colleague Sister Toldjah does a masterful job not only in unpacking Carlson’s speech, but points out the egregious degree to which these elected officials have gone in order to avoid accountability themselves, while continuing to turn the screws on their constituents.

This part of Carlson’s monologue really stuck out for me:

“We take our leaders less seriously, when we’re reminded that they’re just people. Slightly ludicrous, just like we are. When we’re reminded that they too will pass.

“All of us will. If death is inevitable, and that may be the one thing you’re not allowed to say in this country, but it’s still true. Then maybe we should pause before we destroy the LIVING in the name of trying to eliminate it.”

What does Christmas celebration involve? For me, it’s the opportunity to gather with other believers and celebrate the hope and joy of the Season; whether that’s singing Christmas carols or lighting candles on Christmas Eve, it is about the connection around the hope of the Christ child and what it means for my world, and the wider world.

The final verse to the carol, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, speaks to just that:

“Now to the Lord sing praises,
All you within this place,
And with true love and brotherhood
Each other now embrace;
This holy tide of Christmas
All other doth deface.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy,
O tidings of comfort and joy“

From a social perspective, I usually get to see people that I normally do not interact with throughout the year, be it because of distance or circumstance. Holidays are the perfect excuse to gather, and even the most internal of introverts in my circle suck it up and make the attempt, because, Christmas!

What is being restricted in these attempts at lockdowns and insistence on avoiding groups is our ability to connect. Connection matters, and connecting around a common belief, sentiment, or focus, as Carlson talks about in his monologue, makes it a more powerful experience and has a significant impact on each person involved and frankly, on the world.

Think about our collective memories surrounding world tragedies like The Challenger disaster or 9-11; they bind us. So it is with Christmas celebrations large and small—it creates a collective bond, gives us a collective conscious, and produces a collective reset for our minds and souls.

Carlson segued (not ended) his monologue with this point:

“Politicians understand this threat. They’ve figured out that Christmas is bigger than they are, and therefore it’s a threat to them. Better cancel it, and in fact, they’re trying hard.”

Christmas is bigger than they are, and they can throw down as many executive orders, sternly worded tweets, and Facebook Lives that they want; it’s coming, there’s nothing they can do to stop it, and there is nothing they can do to prevent people from celebrating as they see fit.

I see these elected officials like King Herod, who tried to use the Wise Men to track down the Christ child, and when he was thwarted, killed the life around him by ordering the murder of the male children in Bethlehem. Whether it’s the actual science, successful Constitutional lawsuits, or just sheer human will and ingenuity, these politicians are being thwarted at every turn; but instead of bowing the knee to what is above them, they want to squash any life from what is around them.

What they fail to realize is that they screwed the pooch on, “we must save grandma at all costs!” when all of them, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, were either radio silent, or encouraged the unrest and protests of this past summer. When Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio questioned Fauci about whether protests were unsafe and spreader events for COVID, Fauci said that it was “not relevant”. Dr. Rhea Boyd, pediatrician and public health advocate, took to Cosmopolitan magazine to explain that racism is also a public health crisis, so protesting during COVID is perfectly okay—in fact, it’s your right.

On that basis, it’s my right to gather in any way I choose this Christmas season, including gathering with friends, family, and others with like heart and minds.