There’s an age-old adage that one should never discuss religion or politics in social settings. Those two topics are polarizing and often friends and family quickly become frenemies. We celebrated Thanksgiving here in the United States a couple of weeks ago and one of the funniest memes I read on social media stated the person couldn’t wait for Thanksgiving dinner because that social gathering would inevitably cut their Christmas list in half.

Often writers, including myself, skirt around the religion/politics issue. I don’t like to be lectured or convinced that my beliefs are wrong or that I am voting for the wrong party and I imagine no one else does either. We maintain the status quo by staying silent or at the very least, writing about literally anything else. Don’t get me wrong, many courageous journalists and writers write about these subjects often exposing themselves to dangerous backlash. I have admiration for their courage to speak up and speak out.

This holiday season, religion and politics have dominated the news cycle in a way that demands attention and urges no one to stay silent. What we are witnessing in real-time is devastating. At the time of the year when we are supposed to be celebrating the birth and teachings of a pacifist who was born and spent his entire life in the region of the world now divided and war-torn due to differing religious beliefs make me realize that humans have truly learned nothing in thousands of years of existence.

The religious texts of the world’s most followed religions are thousands of years old. These writings have passed through many hands and have had hundreds of interpretations. And sadly these texts have been used as justifications for acts of horror committed worldwide. Neighbors who lived in harmony for years turn against each other in times of conflict because they are a different religion. It’s hard to argue with a belief that so many believe is set in stone. Basic humanity is replaced by zealous belief in someone’s interpretation of a religious text and they take up arms against one another.

Which brings me to politics. The Founding Fathers of the United States clearly stated that there should be a separation of church and state, meaning we shouldn’t mix our religious beliefs with our political ones. And yet as we move further into the 21st century, it’s getting harder to separate the two. Political decisions for the majority are being made based on the religious beliefs of the few. Their interpretations of their religious texts determine what rights I and my fellow citizens can or cannot have. Their interpretations change with each new issue that arises. It’s easy to fit one into the other and say this is what God wants. Who can argue with that? As if they truly know what God wants. As if every religious text doesn’t preach peace, harmony, and goodwill toward men. Or perhaps that’s just my interpretation.

Recently a line from a somewhat mindless film jumped out at me. The line was “War is either about God or oil.” That so neatly explained the human history of warfare. There are no winners in war. There are victors. But there are no winners. And the cost. The cost is immeasurable. The devastation. The inhumanity. I don’t have any answers even as my heart is shattered for the people, the children suffering in those places I see from the warmth and comfort of my living room.

What is evident is that I cannot consider peace to be some abstract concept and hope for the best. I have to be the pebble plopped in the pond. I have to start with cultivating peace with my children and with my family. With my neighbors and my community. Kindness over rudeness or anger or insult. I was raised on the teachings of the one we celebrate this month. He asked us to love our neighbor. He asked us to forgive ourselves and others. To turn the other cheek rather than resort to violence. He asked for peace on earth. Or maybe that was just my interpretation. I don’t think it’s a bad thing to pray for whether it’s my interpretation or not. Peace is all I want for Christmas. Peace is all I want for the humans of the world. Peace on earth. For me and you and you. Namaste.