I once read about scientists developing fabrics that can generate small amounts of electricity simply through movement and pressure. As two fibers rub together, energy is produced, power created through friction. It is a fascinating image, especially in our current moment, where friction seems to be everywhere in the air. In today's political and social climate, there is plenty of friction where voices are constantly clashing, where everyone accuses the other side of lying, manipulation...

I am humbled that our Holy Orthodox Church clearly proclaims that God's great gift was not a philosophy, a code of ethics, or a new age way to look at life, but His gift was God Himself, Jesus Christ! One of the pearls in the book Daily Meditations and Prayers for the Christmas Advent Fast and Epiphany by Harakas and Coniaris is the following: Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea. But where is Bethlehem? Did the Son of God come to be born in a tiny hamlet in far-away Palestine?

On the Sunday before the Nativity of Christ, we read the Gospel of St. Matthew 1:1-25, which traces the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. It's always a powerful thing when our Church reminds us that we come from a lineage that goes all the way back to Adam and Eve. As we celebrate Christmas, we need to be reminded where our roots are, where we're from, and who we are. The world is telling you so many things about who you need to be. We hear, "just be yourself!"