decorating for Christmas

There's evil in the world. There are people who, to get whatever point they want to get across, decide to kill ordinary citizens (Or perhaps not so ordinary; I heard someone - and not even a commentator - opine that it was an area of Paris that tended to be diverse culturally and near a part of town where many Jewish people lived).

And I leave figuring out how to deal with whoever planned and whatever group supported this attack to those with actual military training. All I can do is to pray for those affected, try to show love to those around me, and live my life.

(One of my colleagues has a daughter who is engaged to a Frenchman. I am *pretty sure* but not 100% sure they are currently Stateside. I hope they are. My colleague was in meetings yesterday so I won't hear until Monday now)

And I know, in the middle of everything that happened (And there's other bad stuff that happened in the world yesterday), it seems - I don't know - frivolous, maybe? To think of putting up Christmas decorations.

But I think I'm going to, this afternoon. A couple years ago I opined:

And in a strange way, I almost feel like there's something oddly brave (that might not be quite the right word) about decorating for Christmas. Something hopeful about it. It's too easy to look at the state of the world (well, if you are me it is) and feel despair, feel like human beings have hopelessly screwed it up, and maybe it's time for God to cut His losses and, I don't know, start over with the platypuses or something. And yet. Yet in all of that there are people who do good and kind things, who do wonderful things. And decorating for Christmas reminds me of that. It's fundamentally a hopeful act, I think: trying to call light back into the world by putting up lights of your own. And trying to remember the good people do by trying to do it yourself. Or celebrating it. Or something. And remembering the trust you had as a child by doing childlike things.

I admit, I made a couple variants of the "time for God to cut His losses" statement yesterday afternoon, after hearing about what had happened in Paris.

And yet, at the same time, I need to keep believing - because I do - that Good has already won, maybe the hatred that lives in human hearts just hasn't figured it out enough to flee - or maybe, please God, the hatred is beginning to figure it out and soon will flee. But by celebrating the anniversary of some of that Good, by putting up a tree and lights and a manger scene, maybe I can help myself keep going - remind myself to keep praying and keep being good to those around me. And perhaps most importantly, not give in to despair.

So, some time today, I will be re-setting up my "Ponyville" on the mantel, and moving my little coffee table to the window and putting my tree on it. And maybe when I run to the wal-mart today for more milk (and other soft-ish foods; the crown prep is still bothering me a little), see if there's any other little thing I can get to put up. Or maybe run to the Lowe's next door - I've been wanting to get one of those posts you can hang a bird feeder on, since I lost my privet that I had been using.

And then tomorrow, after church, I'm going to sit in my living room and quilt and look at my tree.

Edited to add: I bought toy-donation toys today, A tiny Lalaloopsy baby doll for the one where there is (supposedly) a $5 limit; this was a bit more but it was nicer than any of the under- $5 things. And a Lego Elves playset for my own, personal, Toys for Tots donation. Made me feel a little happier about things.