Dear John,

Ah, Christmas: the season of social gatherings, gift giving, wonderful food, glittering decorations, hustle and bustle . . . and yet it is so much more than any of these things.

Paramhansa Yogananda said that at this time of year the Christ consciousness is especially close to earth, and more accessible to those who reach for it. And he gave a mystical explanation of Christ’s statement, “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” Christ wasn’t referring merely to his physical presence here. The deeper meaning is that when two or more of our thoughts are gathered together to focus on Christ, we will experience his presence within us.

So during this time of heightened spiritual opportunity, how do we focus more fully on him? First, we can try to follow Jesus’ example of unconditional love and forgiveness. In a beautiful prayer-poem, Yoganandaji wrote of Christ: “O Thou Great Lover of all error-torn brothers, an unseen monument of the mightiest miracle of love was established in every heart when the magic of Thy voice uttered: ‘Forgive them, for they know not what they do.’”

Now is the time to forgive all those who have ever hurt or offended you. Realize that when people hurt others, no matter how grievous their offense, it is done out of ignorance. Find forgiveness and compassion for them, and pray that God show them the way out of their darkness.

Next, try to transcend any sense of division and separation from others. Though their race, religion, or beliefs may be different from your own, remember that the one spirit of God animates us all. In the prayer-poem quoted earlier, Yoganandaji went on to write: “Teach us to conquer the Satan of dividing selfishness, which prevents the gathering of all our brother-souls into the one fold of Spirit. Calling to one another by the watchword: ‘Love him who loves you, and love all who love you not,’ let us rally beneath the canopy of the universal oneness of the Christ.”