It's not called the season of hope for nothing. Whether you and your family share a holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, who freed mankind from sin, or Chanukah, the Jewish holiday commemorating the miracle of the burning of oil at the rededication of the Holy Temple, the Christian and Jewish holidays we celebrate this week are important. They help us focus on what is vital and important in our lives and bring us the strength to live moral, peaceful and fulfilling lives.

At least, that is what they are supposed to represent. But the times in which we live are brutal intruders that sometimes sap our strength and our will and leave us feeling hopeless and helpless.

And, how strong and influential those intruders are. Their messages are in bold headlines and blaring television and radio commentary that fill our homes every day. Good, decent people, have a difficult time holding on to hope in the face of such astounding greed, cruelty, indecency and hatred.

And there has been plenty of it in the past several months, with the thieves of hope busy at work. Do you remember the horror you felt when you heard about the stampede of holiday shoppers on Long Island who senselessly trampled a security guard to death at a Wal Mart store, all in hope of getting some early holiday bargains? Or, the killing of an immigrant worker by four young teens? The news defied the human condition as most of us know and practice it.

Then there is the pain of families who have lost a loved one as a result of terrorism. Whether it was in the 9/11 attacks or in the war on terror immediately following, every American shares that pain, particularly during the holidays.

Many families are struggling through the pain of foreclosure and may lose their homes as the economic foundation of our country has been weakened by greed and deception. Men like Bernard Madoff, the 2008 Christmas Grinch, abandoned all sense of decency, honesty and responsibility for some image of personal gain that defies logic.

On the political scene, we are watching, once again, the epic tragedy of a fall from grace. This time it is an Illinois state Governor who is being accused of attempting to sell a Senate seat and, once again, the average American is left scratching their head, asking what are these people thinking? Somehow, we continue to expect more from those who struggle and rise to the top. And, once again, we are disappointed.

But, it is the season of hope, and for those looking beyond the headlines and sound bytes, there is an entire world of people beyond these human anomalies. We need to remember that this holiday season.

These are the men and women who collected food for the pantries that will feed families struggling through hard times. They are the kind souls who gathered toys for children or warm clothing to help the less fortunate brace against winter's weather.

Many will work the holidays, leaving the comfort of their homes and families because of a higher calling. Whether they are in the Armed Forces or on the streets of your neighborhood as firefighters and police officers, their sacrifices are a reminder of the greatness of the human spirit. Some will work to heal and ease the pain of the sick in hospitals or nursing homes, while others will work in soup kitchens or shelters to bring some holiday hope to those who likely need it the most.

This Christmas and Chanukah, we hope your family puts down the newspaper, shuts off the television and radio news stations and gives equal time to the other side of America the side that represents the real hope of the holidays. It begins with those who sit around your dinner table and stretches beyond and into your community where the true spirit of Christmas and Chanukah are alive and well. Yes, there is hope.

Happy Holidays.