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A John Lennon reminder: So this is Christmas

War is Over billboard from John Lennon and Yoko Ono

A "War is Over" billboard created by John Lennon and Yoko Ono.

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David L. Nevins
By David L. NevinsDec 24, 2024
David L. Nevins
David L. Nevins serves as co-publisher of The Fulcrum. Additionally, Nevins serves as co-founder and Board Chairman of the Bridge Alliance. Nevins brings business acumen, vision and a tireless this-must-and-can-be-done zeal to the burgeoning movement to bridge divides to transform the political process. As a business leader, Nevins excels at building bridges between people and organizations from the right, left and center for civilized conversation and then action. He co-founded the Bridge Alliance because, as he says, “No matter how well managed and how well funded anyone organization is, significant political reform will not happen without an alliance to further collaborative interactions. Together we can and will raise the collective impact of all.” He is a member of the Aspen Institute Society of Fellows, with a focus on the Aspen Rodel Fellowship in Public Leadership, he established and continues to work with The Nevins Democracy Leaders program at Penn State University. Nevins graduated with honors in economics from Penn State in 1969 and received an M.B.A. in finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 1971.
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“Happy Xmas (War Is Over),” a song by John Lennon released in 1971 that has become a Christmas classic, is more relevant today than ever.

Last year during the holiday season, I penned a similar version of this writing in which I said that 2024 would be a year that will test our resolve as a nation and test our democracy. I also noted that the opening verse of the song is a question all of us as Americans should ask:

So this is Christmas
And what have you done?
Another year over
And a new one just begun

We asked our readers to sign a pledge for democracy a year ago and were thrilled that thousands pledged to support:

  • The right of all American citizens to participate in elections
  • The peaceful conduct of all elections and the peaceful transfer of power.
  • The treatment of all fellow citizens with dignity and respect, and never with contempt.

As we approach 2025 we should all be thankful that the elections went smoothly and that this January there will be a peaceful transfer of power. However, much work still needs to be done for the third item in the pledge.

And so the song’s message — calling for an end to fear and war, for hope and peace — is still applicable today, especially considering the ongoing conflicts in our nation and wars around the world. And the message of asking what each one of us can do rings as loudly today as ever. Hope is empty unless it is accompanied by helpful action.

The lyrics remind us that we should strive for a better world, where people of all races and backgrounds can live together in harmony. The song encourages us to look beyond our differences and work towards a common goal of peace and love.

As I listen again to “Happy Xmas,” I am reminded of John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address, delivered 10 years before Lennon’s song debuted. It has a similar message but with a call to action for us as a people:

“Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”

Yes, a call to action for Americans to contribute to their country and to work towards a better future for all. In 1961, when Kennedy delivered the speech, our nation was facing many challenges, as it is today. He inspired millions of people to take action and work towards a better future.

Yet for us to take action we must have hope. The two are inextricably woven together. Hope is a powerful emotion that often inspires us to achieve remarkable things. In 1963, just two years after Kennedy’s inaugural address, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his own famous speech of hope, asking those in attendance to never give up.

“I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.”

So today, as we approach Christmas, ask yourself, “What have I done?” And most importantly ask yourself, “What can I do for our country?”

On this Christmas day, reflect on how you can help bring about the dream of a brighter future. Please join us in 2025 so the glory of our nation will be revealed.

Wishing you peace, goodwill and hope.

And of course enjoy John Lennon’s beautiful song:

www.youtube.com

Nevins is co-publisher of The Fulcrum and co-founder and board chairman of the Bridge Alliance Education Fund.

Every year at this time we publish stories that reflect themes and messages of the holiday season. These stories have resonated deeply with our audience in the past perhaps because they contain universal messages that are central to the holiday spirit; messages of love, kindness, hope, generosity that are universal values to peoples of all cultures and backgrounds.

This season we are re-running some popular holiday messages from the past. We hope you enjoyed this re-run from 2023 as you celebrate this holiday season with family and friends.

All of the staff at The Fulcrum wish you the best this holiday season and hope for peace on Earth and good to all for 2025.

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This Isn’t My Story. But It’s One I’ll Never Forget.

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My colleague, Meghan Monroe, a former teacher and trainer in the Dignity Index, went out to lunch with a friend on the 4th of July. Her friend was late and Meghan found herself waiting outside the restaurant where, to her surprise, a protest march approached. It wasn’t big and it wasn’t immediately clear what the protest was about. There were families and children marching—some flags, and some signs about America being free.

One group of children caught Meghan’s eye as they tugged at their mother while marching down the street. The mom paused and crouched down to speak to the children. Somehow, Meghan could read the situation and realized that the mom was explaining to the children about America—about what it is, about all the different people who make up America, about freedom, about dignity.

“I could just tell that the Mom wanted her children to understand something important, something big. I couldn’t tell anything about her politics. I could just tell that she wanted her children to understand what America can be. I could tell she wanted dignity for her children and for people in this country. It was beautiful.”

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My wife, Linda, and I celebrated America at the wedding of my godson, Alexander, and his new wife, Hannah. They want America to be a place of love. Dozens of my cousins, siblings, and children celebrated America on Cape Cod.

For them and our extended family, America is a place where families create an enduring link from one generation to the next despite loss and pain.

Thousands of Americans in central Texas confronted the most unimaginable horrors on July 4th. For them, I hope and pray America is a place where we hold on to each other in the face of unbearable pain and inexplicable loss.

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I bet that’s one of the lessons that mom was explaining to her children. I imagine her saying, “America is a place where everyone matters equally. No one’s dignity matters more than anyone else’s. Sometimes we get it wrong. But in our country, we always keep trying and we never give up.”

For the next 12 months as we lead up to the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, we’re going to be hearing a lot about what we want America to be. But maybe the more important question is what we the people are willing to do to fulfill our vision of what we can be. The answer to that question is hiding in plain sight and is as old as the country itself: join with others and do your part, and no part is too small to matter.

At our best, our country is a country of people who serve one another. Some may say that’s out of fashion, but not me. Someone is waiting for each of us—to talk, to share, to join, to care, to lead, to love. And in our time, the superpower we need is the capacity to treat each other with dignity, even when we disagree. Differences of opinion aren’t the problem; in fact, they’re the solution. As we love to say, “There’s no America without democracy and there’s no democracy without healthy debate and there’s no healthy debate without dignity.”

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