Peace and power—together,

Donna Smith for the PDA National Team

No matter the cultural traditions during this season, most of those traditions embrace love, light, and peace. In a world with a seemingly endless record of nations at war, cultural conflict, and unyielding violent struggle, offering mirth-filled season’s greetings might certainly seem contradictory and some might say hypocritical.

How can we pretend to love peace on earth when there is not peace on earth? How can we fill ourselves with food when so much of this world starves? How can we say we care about all creatures while our climate crisis threatens our shared home—planet Earth? How can we profess our love for our fellow human beings while we see the unhoused and do not offer shelter, we watch the steady flow of immigrants and do not allow for their safety?

Our reality often stands in contrast and conflict with the idyllic seasonal images and expectations surrounding us at this time of the year. Earlier this season, our executive director, Alan Minsky, spoke about our shared vision to live in a “society of equals.” The gift we continue to offer one another is the hope and the vision to believe we can someday achieve such a progressive reality.

Imagine a society where every human being is seen as equal. Then join us at PDA as we work to achieve that now seemingly idyllic reality. Wherever you are today and whatever your traditions, you are wished the wish we honor with our shared work—Peace on Earth and good will to all.