The joy and happiness that the holiday season usually brings will be tempered this year by a host of horrors that occurred over the past few weeks, and yes, throughout the past year.

                Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanza you can't help but feel the need to pray for those affected by those horrors.  Of those who don't recognize any of the goodness that should be found in these holidays, many still feel the need to reach out to the victims and families who suffered, or are suffering, in 2014.

                As hope for a better world dwindles, we need to ramp up faith to bring back hope.  Faith in mankind; faith in our religion; and, most importantly, faith in ourselves.  We need to look in the mirror and see who we are.  We need to look deep inside and see if we are the solution or part of the problem.

                Hate and distrust breeds more hate and distrust.  Are you a hater?  Who do you hate and why?  Think about it; have you ever seen political disagreements evolve so quickly into blatant acts of hatred followed by quick retaliation with total disregard to whatever collateral damage may occur and to whom.  As we continue to add words to the dictionary, the word "compromise" may soon be deleted, followed soon after by courtesy, respect and understanding.

                In our fast-paced, internet-powered social world, half-truths and downright lies fly around the world at the same speed as the truth, yet truth often takes a backseat.  Caught up in the swiftness to communicate, many people are quick to believe those half-truths or lies because it feeds their desire to be controversial or argumentative, or just hate.

                The controversy over the grand jury decisions in the cases of Michael Brown and Eric Garner sparked peaceful protests and downright riots.  In our largest city, New York, live TV brought us groups of protestors marching and chanting "What do we want? Dead cops! When do we want it? Now!"

                In the Brooklyn 911 call-center last Saturday, while two police officers lay mortally wounded in the street, Fire Department of New York dispatchers reportedly clashed with police dispatchers after one of the NYPD staffers said that the officers "deserved it."

                 Police all over the country are threatened by posters on social media, many who take every advantage to hide their identity.  What's real and what isn't?  Police officers, no matter how far from Ferguson, Mo. or Staten Island, NY need to be extra vigilant.  What triggers someone to intentionally kill an armed police officer?  What triggers anyone to intentionally kill another human being?  What innocent victims will be forever harmed by the acts of those who hate?

                This holiday season, give the world, your nation, your neighborhood a special gift.  Promise yourself that you will love before you hate.  If you can't love, then vow that you will try to understand before passing judgment.  Or, you can simply agree to disagree.  Do your best to correct a mistake instead of ignoring it or perpetuating the results of it.  Pledge to help those in need, regardless of who they are.

                Hope starts with people and their willingness to identify their shortcomings and make the changes necessary to become a better person.

                Make that your gift to others.