Starvation and illness claim thousands of lives on the African continent. Violence scars the countryside in Latin America, where drug lords deal as much in fear as they do in narcotics. In Europe, young people once again are drawn to the ill-fated promises of fascism. Behind the old Iron Curtain, organized crime and poor economic conditions turn citizens into common thieves and beggars. Children in America increasingly are subjected to neglect and abuse.
Racism is a problem everywhere.
It's not a pretty story at Christmas. In fact, these stories stand in stark contrast to the pastoral scene of a baby lying in a manger. This too is a story of irony. For unlike the soft and cuddly world of infants, this baby carried a message of forgiveness. In a single, selfless act, this baby would redeem the world from all the consequences of its behavior.