Amid today's difficulties and divisions, the pandemic and the problems, we have never needed Christmas spirit more.
It's hardly surprising that the coronavirus has upended our holiday traditions and plans.
Gather carefully, friends. Be merry and remember that this season is about the great salvation we all have through Jesus.
There are, however, still some traditions that remain unaffected by the curse that has been 2020.
For example, like every Christmas before it, all of us will look around for help when getting past "Five golden rings" when singing the "12 Days of Christmas."
And, our Right to the Point Christmas wish list will never be quarantined.
So, let's make this list and check it a couple of extra times for typos.
For Jim Coppinger, our county mayor, may he get credit for his steady leadership, before the pandemic and during. His actions have not always been popular, but he has acted from the heart, with conviction.
For our tireless and dedicated medical professionals, may you know that so many of us will be forever grateful for your efforts, your energy and your sacrifice. You all have been heroes, and here's betting Santa knows it, too.
For that fellow in the mirror and the rest of the folks who make a living in media, may we all be better in 2021, and not just in terms of health. What we do is more important than ever, and we need to remember that perception and reality are forever linked in the modern age of news consumption.
For Weston Wamp, may you find your next calling in politics, because our society needs youthful and willing leaders now more than ever.
For the crowded field of Chattanooga mayoral candidates, may you have the fortitude to run clean races. Washington feels forever broken, but if we do a better job of demanding decency and rewarding dignity in politics on the local level, then maybe those roots will take hold.
For the winner of that crowded field of Chattanooga mayoral candidates, may you have the good fortune to effect change and the wisdom to share the credit. Our city has real issues that we dismiss because Outdoor magazine thinks the riverfront is cool.
For Chattanooga police Chief David Roddy and his officers, Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Hammond and his deputies and District Attorney General Neal Pinkston and his prosecutors, in a year that has seen more hatred toward those willing to die to protect us, may you know that the world in general and Chattanooga specifically is a better place because of your efforts.
For our local business owners, especially those in the food and hospitality industry, may you find a way to survive the coming weeks. We are not out of the woods yet. We need you, and I am praying for you.
For those who work in our schools, may you be safe, enjoy the break, and may you get a hall tree on which to hang the myriad hats you wear. You have filled those roles well, and now, by virtue of a pandemic, the rest of us know how difficult your jobs are.
For President-elect Joe Biden, may you have the best of everything. You are the incoming president, and more than anything I want America and its people to be in a better place.
For everyone else, well, may you know how much I appreciate that you give me some of your greatest asset - your time. It means more than you ever know.
So let there be gifts galore under your tree, vaccines aplenty in every stocking sooner rather than later, and heck, if you need eight maids a milkin' - or even all 10 lords a leapin' - then I hope Santa brings them.
Merry Christmas, friends.
Contact Jay Greeson at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com.
Jay Greeson