Editor,
I want to take this opportunity to wish all of the students, staff and faculty at UNM a very Merry Christmas.
I know it is politically correct to use the term “Happy Holidays,” but I can’t bring myself to do that.
Christmas has a special meaning to me, and it goes beyond Christmas shopping.
There are two main emotions in our human lives: love and fear. When we are fearful, we are envious, greedy, hateful, bigoted, jealous, cruel, untruthful, impatient and fearful of criticism.
Most of our activities on the planet are predicated on fear. We wage wars; we are racially hateful, homophobic, and participate in ridiculous political elections where both parties preach fear of the other party.
Love has always been present throughout history, but Jesus was the first and the best to demonstrate it with his activities.
When Jesus was born, he was the epitome of love. When you practice love as Jesus did, you are compassionate, peaceful, generous, merciful, truthful, patient, courageous and willing to forgive all transgressions.
It doesn’t matter to Jesus whether you accept him as your savior, or if you subscribe to another religion or don’t accept any. All he wants us to do is practice what he taught us in his ministry, and that is that love is the main human emotion and fear is to be avoided if at all possible.
So, if you are a Christian, a Buddhist, a Hindu, a Muslim or belong to any other faith, or if you are an agnostic or an atheist, I want to wish you a very Merry Christmas. That means a very loving Christmas, not just for Christmas, but for all of December — plus all the days, weeks, months and years that follow.
Richard “Bugman” Fagerlund
Retired UNM staff
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