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Monday, December 22nd, 2025
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
SECOND CHANCE
A HOLIDAY STORY!
I always get caught up
In the momentum
Of the holiday season.
We pass Thanksgiving
Reach the Christmas milestone
And approach the New Year.
There are numerous things
To the divert our attention.
Holiday shopping, football, social events.
But for me
It is a time to reflect.
All three holidays
Have special meaning.
A second chance and maybe
Even a new beginning.
Thanksgiving Day,
A second chance.
That is why pilgrims
Made a treacherous journey
From England to America.
They were searching
For a better life
To live and worship
In their own way.
They wanted
A second chance.
To Christians
Christmas
Is the most important season.
A special line in the sand.
And for one reason.
Christ died on the cross
To give believers
A second chance.
My favorite Christmas story
That I share with
My grandchildren
Is the marvelous tale
Spun by Charles Dickens
Called A Christmas Carol.
The lessons of the spirit
From this special time of year
Come from the dead.
Follow the teachings
Of Saint James in the Bible.
Do good deeds
Help others
Do good works.
Our worst sin
Is often not our venality
But our indifference.
Dickens teaches us that
Our empathy can swallow us
And we lose compassion.
But we have a chance
For redemption
A gamble to look back
And try again.
What a wonderful gift
The one-time act
Of a second chance.
Then comes the New Year
And the opportunity for renewal.
A second chance if you need one.
I certainly do.
And as Tiny Tim says in Dickens’ saga
God bless us everyone.
Peace and Justice
Jim Brown
Jim Brown’s syndicated column appears each week in numerous newspapers throughout the nation and on websites worldwide. You can read all his past columns and see continuing updates at http://www.jimbrownla.com.