“The holidays” of 2010 will soon draw to a close. They were frantic and mostly fun but also crammed with the most diverse religious experiences in memory. In the past week, I’ve gone from observing Shabbat with Orthodox Jewish relatives to celebrating Christmas not only at my house but with a more southern flair with my daughter-in-law’s family, to a sermon about Kwanzaa (folllowed by a little Charlie Brown Christmas music) at the unitarian church I attend, and finally to a Buddhist meditation dinner (in a living room that also sported a Christmas tree). Whew!

As different as these traditions may be, the spirit of love and community that ran through them brought a message of hope for 2011.