3 Vital Things To Remember This Christmas

Christmas has always been a special time for me. It is special, first and foremost, for the wonderful memories from Christmases past and the time spent with family each holiday season. This year, I am looking forward to celebrating Christmas with Susan, our son, Nick, and his wife, Rachael. Christmas is special to our family for another, even more important reason, though. As a Christian, Christmas is a reminder that over 2,000 years ago, light came into a dark world. The miracle of Christ’s birth in Bethlehem changed the world forever, and I believe that it remains our greatest hope despite the many challenges we face today.

There has been no greater example of this than the issue of protecting and defending life. Since the Dobbs decision struck down Roe v. Wade, conservatives may not have achieved all the electoral or legislative victories many of us had hoped and worked for on the issue of protecting life, yet I believe this only tells a small part of the story.

Beyond the realm of politics and legislation, faith-based organizations and people of conviction have delivered huge victories for life. For instance, pro-life Pregnancy Resource Centers have never been busier than in the past two years: A recent report from the Lozier Institute indicated that there were nearly 3 million in-person client visits at pregnancy centers in 2022 alone, an increase of 36% from the year prior. The same year, nearly 1 million new clients sought out the resources of pro-life pregnancy centers. It can’t be overstated how important these numbers are: Women who might otherwise have walked through the front door of a Planned Parenthood, thinking they have no other place to turn, have instead turned to places run by faithful people who value families and children at historic rates. I am proud to work with the ACLJ, which is dedicated to defending these pro-life pregnancy centers, especially as the centers have come under recent attack. They must be allowed to continue their lifesaving work. In the long run, I know that if people of faith continue to persevere and put life first – especially in service to those in need – legislative, political, and cultural change will follow.

Christmas is also a reminder of the importance of family. As you travel to be with loved ones this coming week or welcome loved ones home, take a moment to reflect on how foundational our families truly are. Just as family – Jesus, Mary, and Joseph – is at the heart of the Christmas story, so too is the family at the heart of our nation. From our families come our congregations and our communities; they are the essential “little platoon” our Founding Fathers identified as being indispensable to the health of our country. Every facet of our society, be it the education of our children, our economic prosperity, the strength of our religious institutions, or the health of our political system, depends on our families. This is no accident; our civilization is rooted in Judeo-Christian truths, one being that the family is a unique institution, ordained by God, that reflects our own relationship with Him. That is why we must cherish our precious family ties this Christmas and stand ready to oppose attempts by the government to subvert or replace them, be they in our children’s schools, doctor’s offices, or national politics.

Finally, each Christmas is a reminder of how fortunate we are to live in a country where religious freedom is respected as a fundamental right. Millions of Christians around the world – in China, Nigeria, and elsewhere – will celebrate Christmas this year in hiding or while being actively persecuted. Take a moment to pray for their deliverance from these evils and for our own leaders to show the strength of character to stand with them and treat religious freedom as a top priority in America’s foreign policy.

We should pray, too, for those in our own country who have faced attacks and threats due to their beliefs. The state of religious freedom in America today is troubling, with those who despise people of faith becoming ever bolder in their open attacks – something that has been particularly evident in the deplorable antisemitism displayed on college campuses across our country in recent weeks. Religious freedom, which ensures all Christians may celebrate the birth of our Savior each Christmas without fear of persecution, necessarily depends on our commitment to ensure all Americans are able to worship according to their beliefs. If people of faith remember this, I am confident we will overcome the gross bigotry displayed on our campuses and our cities together.

So long as people of faith remain engaged in shaping our country’s character and identity, I know that America will prosper. May God bless you and your families this Christmas season.