Clear winter nights are wonderful. Out where we live there are few lights to compete with the star-studded sky. In fact, the stars seem close enough to touch.

I like the silence of these nights. There is holiness in the stillness, a peacefulness that fills my heart when I sit beneath the heavens my warm breath meeting the cool air as I marvel at the sight.

On a night like this, especially during the Christmas holidays, I think about the miracle of living. Looking up at the millions of twinkling lights can anyone doubt there is a power, an intelligence, a spirit that created everything?

And in the depth of my soul I know I am a part of that creation, connected through the creator to all that is.

For me feeling that connection is a special gift of Christmas. It is a season of reflection, a time of remembering and celebrating the entrance of love into the world in human form.

And I discovered that the story of Jesus’ birth is recognized and honored not only by Christians, but also in other world religions. Muslims learn about his birth and life in their scriptures. In fact, the Koran mentions Jesus and his mother, Mary, more than 100 times.

Buddhists honor the message of the Christ, his teachings on compassion and forgiveness. One writer on the subject said Buddha taught the wisdom of love; Jesus Christ brought the power of love.

Members of the Jewish faith speak of what Jesus gave to mankind.

“No Jewish prophet before Jesus ever searched out the miserable, the sick, the weak, and the down-trodden in order to pour forth love and compassionate service. He went out of his way to redeem the lowly by a touch of human sympathy that is altogether unique in Jewish history,” said Ernest R. Trattner, Jewish author.

While all the religions differ in doctrine, on one thing they are clear and in agreement — Christ coming into the physical world changed the world.

In the quiet of a winter night, the miracle of Christ lives inside each of us. It is there in the brilliance of the stars, the black of the night sky, the perfection of how it fits together held in perfect harmony by the spirit that permeates all things.

Jesus showed the world that man can live with love as the guiding light. His life was an example of how a human can choose love in any situation. And in making that choice to live a love-centered life, he showed us the way to God.

While we may debate theology, argue for our particular belief system, fight with each other over whose religion is true, we cannot argue the importance of unselfish love, the life-changing impact it has on those who choose to practice it no matter what faith they follow.

That is the wonder we celebrate at Christmas. Love is the hope of a weary world. Love is what I feel inside on a quiet, clear winter night when I sit beneath the sparkling sky thinking about the miracle of living.