I recently read Judy Cannato’s comment: “Indeed, we live in a culture that flaunts the phony and thrives on glittering fabrication.”

As the holidays approach this comment certainly has application in our daily lives. How many Nativity scenes do you see when you are out and about? What headlines remind us of the source of our seasonal traditions?

War rages on and our government stalls on a silly impeachment process that is certain to go nowhere. Why waste your time, our time, and our money on such absurdities? It seems only to please a self-proclaimed man who would be dictator, if only for a day. After all, if he was impeached than his opponent and successor must be impeached as well.

And as all this plays out, two wars continue and either could change the future of the world. Yet Congress is unable to act because they cannot come to an agreement on an issue that all acknowledge is in need of serious overhaul: immigration.

Depressing, to say the least. But then so is the time of year. The days get shorter; the sun seems to be a stranger; climate change is robbing us of a much-desired White Christmas; the landscape is drab and dead; and it’s damp outside with a cold that penetrates.

For a long time, I sought solace, at times like these, in religion; in going to church. However, I have found that Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn best describes our present predicament: “The Western system in its present state of spiritual exhaustion does not look attractive.”

So where do we go when our government fails us, and its future looks bleak? Where do we go when our religious leaders seem to be diametrically opposed to one another and a war with some of its origin in opposing religious beliefs destroys a homeland; killing thousands and traumatizing whole societies?

The answer is simple and the solution obvious. “We only get one chance to live this life of love” – Richard Rohr.

I am not being naive when I write this. I am not a Pollyanna; nor am I unrealistic. It is easy to dismiss this statement with the belief that my conduct alone will not change anything. It will. It is contagious.

I have influence only where I walk and live. That is enough. The power of good; the power of love permeates and conquers. Given a chance, it will overcome. If each one of us does not try to live a life of love, then yes, the negative influences around us will triumph.

We project what we feel. We are sensitive and sentient beings. Our faces, our eyes, our words, and our body language speak volumes. When it is from the heart it is compelling. When it is filled with artifice, manipulation, and spoken to deceive it may captivate, but in a nefarious and crippling way.

Being true to oneself and finding good in all of those around us will not let us down. The simple teaching of Jesus Christ 2000 years ago still stands the test of time “Love thy neighbor.”

It is simple. But it is often hard. The reward is great. At no time is it more necessary than now to undertake a consistent and continuous effort to love thy neighbor; love thy enemy; love yourself.

Am I on a soapbox? Absolutely! However, I am not preaching to the choir. We all need to wake up and change. We have let this abysmal mess happen through apathy and building walls around ourselves. We have become tribal in our outlook and slipped into blame games. We are each responsible for the present and the future.

I choose to live with love and to do so in an unabashed way. I will not live in fear of what others think of me. Nor will I be silenced by those who choose not to live transparent lives being accountable to all. I may make an error and when I do, I will acknowledge it. I am certain I am not wrong in what I write.

 — This is the opinion of Times Writers Group member Peter Donohue, who has been involved in the arts in Central Minnesota for more than 35 years. His column is published the third Sunday of the month.

This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: Peter Donohue: A power that permeates