To the editor:

Christmas morning, the Lawrence Community Shelter pulsed with joyful holiday activity. Volunteers had brought tasty breakfast casseroles, baked goods and fruit. Christmas presents were distributed to guests adopted by our community.

In the midst of this happy chaos of Christmas cheer was a Kansas University student who was unable to make it home to his family because of job commitments in Lawrence – not exactly homeless, but unable to be at home for the vacation. This young man happened to be a Muslim. He had stopped by earlier in the week to offer his services to the homeless and to participate in this Christian holiday. He told me that last year he’d not been involved with the Christmas holiday but decided to do something different this year.

How lucky we are that he did. He cheerfully and politely became part of the morning’s activities.

He exemplifies the true spirit of the season. It would behoove each of us to see each other with the same loving eyes and heart as he saw the guests on Christmas morning at the shelter.

Carol Pilant,

Lawrence