Larry D. Lauer

Santa Claus is a really big idea, one that sometimes has to be explained to children. As a child I had all the questions about flying reindeer and fat men coming down chimneys. But the very the image of a truly generous character representing gift-giving, wonderful Christmas colors, decorations, music, and family traditions every year had me believing in Santa Claus very quickly. “Yes,” I would  eventually tell my grandchildren, “he is as real as anything else!”

But what about two other really big ideas that must be dealt with this time of year, God and Jesus? Well, eventually the wonder of a living world with communicating plants and thinking animals and conscious human beings was evidence enough for me. And Jesus’ connection to God was evidenced by the consistency of his behavior, a story told and retold in mostly the same ways for centuries. His fundamental message that human wealth is not about money or always winning just makes sense. Rather, human riches are better found in the “Golden Rule” and helping others. Isn’t it interesting that many of these ideas also drove the thinking of our own founding fathers?

So this year after reminding myself that I had already sorted out these big ideas, I found myself struggling to reaffirm my belief in another really unique and beautiful one… the “idea of America,” the one that our founders had in mind.

We have been through rough times this past year. We experienced a mean-spirited and gridlocked  Congress followed by an election that brought out the worst language and embarrassing behavior imaginable. My fear at this holiday season is that we are very close to losing our big idea, the one that the world admires most.

America is not fundamentally about the superiority of business success, winning at all cost, or personal wealth, or fame. While these can sometimes be celebrated, they are not fundamental. The unique and compelling “idea of America” is simply in its basic commitment to genuine equal opportunity, personal freedom, and justice for all.

During this holiday season it is critically important that we resolve to not lose our way in 2017.  We must reaffirm and reassert our true values.